Design of Shahdara Dam near completion to tackle water shortage
ISLAMABAD: The design of the proposed Shahdara Dam is being finalised as the civic agency seeks an early start to the project in a bid to reduce water scarcity in the federal capital.
Presiding over a meeting on water issues, CDA Chairman Muhammad Ali Randhawa on Tuesday also received an update on the project.
CDA spokesperson Shahid Kiani said the meeting was told that “the feasibility study for the Shahdara Dam project has been completed, while the design phase of the dam project is in its final stages.” CDA officials said the dam will be built in the Shahdara area and will have the capacity to store 10 million gallons of water per day for the citizens of Islamabad.
They said that after completion of the design, PC-I will be presented before the CDA’s Development Working Party (DWP) for approval before tenders are invited for construction work. Meanwhile, officials said the CDA will have to acquire over 30 acres of land for the project.
The meeting also discussed the proposed Dotara Dam, which will be built upstream of Khanpur Dam with a proposed capacity of 72 mgd for both Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
“It was informed during the briefing that the feasibility study for the Shahdara Dam project has been completed, while the design phase of the dam project is in its final stages.
The meeting was further informed that work on the feasibility study for the Dotara Dam is ongoing and is expected to be completed by May 2026,” read a press release issued by the CDA after the meeting.
It is relevant to note here that residents of Islamabad have been facing a shortage of water as the CDA is currently providing around 70 mgd from its three main sources against the requirement of 220 mgd. Meanwhile, the rural population is mostly dependent on bore water and other small sources.
On the other hand, during the last three decades, no new source of water was explored while the city witnessed a massive increase in population, resulting in a shortage of water.
The press release issued by the CDA after the meeting stated that various schemes for the rehabilitation and upgradation of waterworks, conduction pipelines, water treatment plants and water pumps were discussed.
The meeting was also informed that the installation of the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system and flow meters to introduce a modern monitoring mechanism for the water system in the capital city is in progress.
The meeting was also informed that approximately 100 rainwater recharge wells will be constructed at various locations to raise the groundwater level and prevent water wastage. Similarly, around 20 water storage tanks will be constructed at different locations, while under CDA building bylaws, rooftop rainwater harvesting has been made mandatory in Islamabad.
According to the press release, CDA Chairman Muhammad Ali Randhawa directed that strict compliance with the rooftop rainwater harvesting system be ensured in the capital. The meeting also reviewed progress on the establishment of three sewage treatment plants (STPs) on the Korang Nullah.
It was informed that the project will be executed on an EPC basis and the process for hiring a design consultant is underway. It is relevant to note here that the project has been delayed for the last five years as every year the federal government earmarks a token allocation in the budget for this mega project.
Despite floating tenders a couple of times, the project could not be started, and now the CDA is once again going to hire a consultant.
Meanwhile, the meeting was briefed that the PC-I for 11 wetlands has been approved and the site selection process for various wetlands is ongoing. The CDA, in collaboration with its partner, has also commenced work on two wetlands.
Quoting the CDA chairman, the press release said he directed that clear timelines be followed to ensure the completion of all projects and initiatives.