ISLAMABAD: The Punjab Irrigation Department has turned down a request of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) for the immediate release of two million gallon daily (MGD) water from Rawal Lake to Islamabad city, linking it with clearance of outstanding liabilities.

In its response to the request by the CDA to resume the supply of the two MGD water that was disconnected in 1996, the Irrigation Department demanded that the civic agency should clear Rs32.35 million dues for the water previously supplied to Islamabad.

Apart from the dues, other controversy surrounding the resumption of supply is the water charges. While the CDA wants to pay at the old rate of Rs0.19 per 1,000 gallons of water, the Punjab Irrigation Department demands around Rs6 per 1,000 gallons on the grounds that the same rates have to be revised from 1960s.

In a letter to the CDA, the Irrigation Department agreed in principle to restore the supply of two MGD water from Rawal Lake to Islamabad “Subject to approval of rates for supply of this water by the government of Punjab.”

Talking to Dawn from Lahore, a senior official of the Irrigation Department said water rate was a serious issue not only with the CDA but also with the Water and Sanitation Authority (Wasa) Rawalpindi.

Besides clearance of dues, provincial irrigation dept also wants revision in water charges

“The problem is if it is decided to restore water supply on the condition that revised rates will be applicable, when they are finalised, the issue will never be resolved and CDA will continue to pay at the rate of 19 paisa per 1,000 gallons water that was notified in the 1960s.” the official said.

Though Rawal Lake is situated in the territory of Islamabad, it has been built on Korang River whose main catchments are the Murree hills and hence the water belongs to the Punjab province.

Besides, the Punjab Irrigation Department has the technical capacity to build, operate and maintain structures of dams, including its spillways. So it was decided in the 1960s that Rawal Lake would be under the jurisdiction of Small Dams Organisation (SDO) of the Punjab Irrigation Department.

The move to get the water supply from the lake restored was initiated by Special Assistant to Prime Minister on CDA Affairs and Member National Assembly from NA-53 Islamabad Ali Nawaz Awan. The CDA had written a letter to the Punjab government in October for the resumption of the supply.

Mr Awan, who is also the convener of a subcommittee of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Water Resources, took up the matter in the committee meeting last month.

The committee was informed by the CDA that the outstanding dues for water supplied from Rawal Lake would be cleared. However, the matter is yet to be resolved.

CDA’s Member Engineering Ayaz Khan said the two MGD water from the lake would be provided to I-8, I-9 and I-10 sectors, and the pipeline to transport it to the treatment plant at Sports Complex and has been made functional.

However, the supply will be restored only after the water rates are decided. The CDA wants to pay Rs1,140 per month for the two MGD water whereas the Punjab Irrigation Department is asking for more than Rs360,000 per month.

Published in Dawn, December 20th, 2020