ISLAMABAD: Chairman Capital Development Authority (CDA), Engineer Farkhand Iqbal on Wednesday signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Chinese government in Beijing in the presence of the President of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari.

Under the MoU, China will help in channeling water supply of 200 million gallon per day from Ghazi Barotha to the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

Presently, CDA supply 65 million gallon water per day to the residents of the Federal Capital from Simly Dam, Khanpur Dam and tube-wells, installed in different sectors of the city and facing a deficiency of 85 million gallon water per day. After supply of water from Ghazi Barotha water reservoir to Islamabad will overcome this deficiency.

Under the MoU, the experts of a Chinese company will visit Islamabad to work on modalities and technical study of a water supply project.

The project of supply of water from Ghazi Barotha to Islamabad was considered in 2005, however, due to some reservation by the provinces on distribution of water from Indus River, the project was not executed.

Expressing his views on the occasion of MoU signing, Chairman CDA, Engineer Farkhand Iqbal said that all codal formalities would be met for supply of water from Ghazi Barotha and work on the project will start by September 2012.

He said that China will help in development of Sector I-15, adding that 6000 flats would be constructed in the sector. China will provide $1.2 billion for the development of different projects in the Federal Capital.

He said that the time has come to initiate and complete the longstanding development projects, which would be a milestone in the history of development of Islamabad.