ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary body on Wednesday voiced strong concerns over pollution in Rawal Dam, where an alarming nine million gallons of sewage is being discharged daily.

This contaminated water, currently supplied to the residents of Rawalpindi, poses a critical public health threat, observed Senator Sherry Rehman, who was heading a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change.

During a committee meeting, Senator Rehman criticised the Capital Development Authority (CDA) for its failure to address the pollution issue, despite years of discussions and tendering processes.

“After three years, we’re still talking about plans for sewage treatment plants while residents are forced to consume polluted water,” she lamented.

Sherry forms two-member committee to investigate issue, asks CDA to present water quality report in next committee meeting

Senator Rehman demanded that the CDA present a water quality report for Rawal Dam at the next committee meeting.

To further investigate the situation, she established a two-member sub-committee, led by Senator Shahzaib Durrani, to inspect the pollution levels and propose immediate corrective measures.

The senator stressed the urgent need for the desilting of Rawal Dam to restore its capacity and improve water quality. She called for the launch of a “Recharge Rawal” project to stop the flow of toxic waste into the dam.

Additionally, Senator Rehman directed the Ministry of Climate Change to report on the progress in renewable energy and fossil fuel sectors, highlighting the necessity of integrating climate issues into national policy.

She expressed concern over the marginalisation of climate change in the previous Economic Survey of Pakistan and stressed the importance of provincial cooperation to meet the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) regulations, which could impact Pakistan’s access to European markets.

Despite Pakistan’s low emissions, Senator Rehman noted the country’s vulnerability to climate change, citing rapidly melting glaciers as a significant concern.

She called for a detailed analysis of this issue and announced a planned visit to Skardu to assess the situation firsthand.

The meeting also highlighted the ministry’s lack of technical expertise and suggested creating a specialised occupational group for climate change within the civil service to enhance the ministry’s effectiveness.

In addition to the Rawal Dam issue, Senator Rehman expressed frustration over the continued use of single-use plastics in government ministries, despite previous directives for regulation. She warned that non-compliance would result in strict action.

The meeting, attended by key officials, including Prime Minister’s Coordinator for Climate Change Romina Khurshid Alam and CDA Member Talat Mahmood, underscored the committee’s commitment to enforcing environmental regulations and protecting public health.

Earlier this month, the fish die-off in Rawal Dam raised serious concerns and prompted action from the Pakistan Environment Protection Agency (Pak-EPA).

Talking to Dawn, Dr Zaigham Abbas attributed the dying of fish to untreated municipal wastewater flowing into Rawal Lake from Banigala and Bhara Kahu.

“Fish died due to low oxygen levels caused by the mixture of wastewater into Rawal Lake and high levels of turbidity,” he added.

Earlier in 2017, a similar incident occurred in which thousands of fish had died in the dam allegedly due to poisoned water.

The police had registered a first information report (FIR) following claims that poison had been mixed in the water deliberately by someone to settle scores.

Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2024