RAWALPINDI, May 9: As the Supreme Court continues to grill the civic agencies, the increasing ‘contamination load’ at Rawal Lake has pushed up the purification cost of drinking water to Rs70 million per year.

Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) would usually allocate Rs50 million for treating water at Rawal Lake before supplying it to consumers but the cost has soared to Rs70 million — Rs10 million annually — since the apex court took suo motu notice of contamination in the lake in 2010.

The Supreme Court had ordered the Capital Development Authority (CDA), Pakistan Environment Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) and other departments concerned to take immediate measures to stop sewage flow into Rawal Lake.

According to Director Water Supply, Wasa, Akram Soban, mixing of sewage in the lake was increasing each day as no practical measure had been taken to prevent pollutants from flowing into the lake.

“As a result, we have to increase the allocation for water treatment, bringing it to Rs70 million from Rs50 million in 2010,” the director said.

He said the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration, Capital Development Authority (CDA) and Town Municipal Administration (TMA) Murree were responsible for polluting the lake by not containing the sewage coming from their respective jurisdictions.

Wasa supplies 13 million gallons daily (MGD) water to Military Engineering Services (MES), 10 MGD to Rawalpindi city, 1.2 MGD to Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and 3.2 MGD collectively to National Institute of Health (NIH) and National Agriculture Research Council (NARC).

“High pollution level in the lake is worrisome for us as it has increased the cost of water treatment,” Wasa Managing Director Raja Shaukat Mehmood told this reporter.

Meanwhile, Commissioner Rawalpindi Imdadullah Bosal on Wednesday convened a meeting of CDA, ICT administration and Wasa officials but according to sources no solid measures were taken to contain contamination of the lake’s water.

However, according to sources, the CDA officials said it would construct check dams and oxidation ponds so that sewage coming from Islamabad could be treated before mixing with Rawal Lake water.

At present, sewage from Korang River, Badhawa village, Ghora Gali, Chattar Park, Bhara Kahu, Shahdara, Diplomatic Enclave, Quaid-i-Azam University and Bari Imam flows into Rawal Lake.

“Wasa is victim of contamination as it costs us high.

We wish the verdict of the Supreme Court is implemented.

In case the pollution continues to increase, we would be forced to increase the yearly budget to Rs100 million next year,” the Wasa chief said.