Shahid Mahmood
ISLAMABAD, May 7 (APP):With Federal Capital’s population rising over two million from around 800,000 in 2008, the city managers are continuously under stress to meet the basic amenities needs of the residents.
Besides cleanliness, waste disposal, pollution control and maintaining law and order, the provision of sufficient water to households has become a gigantic task as a shortfall in routine supply by the Capital Development Authority is forcing residents to purchase water from private operators.
As the population grew to 150 percent during the last 15 years, the available water resources are falling short of meeting the daily needs of the residents, especially during the summer season.
The main sources of water for Islamabad are the Simly and Khanpur dams which are dependent on rainfall and snow melting in the catchment areas. The Capital Development Authority (CDA) had ignored this issue during past decades and since the construction of the Khanpur Dam in the 1990s, no new source of water was explored.
Experts believe that if the present situation continues, Pakistan would fall in the list of water-scarce countries within the next few years.
“Presently we are a water-stressed country and shall slip down to the water shortage category in the next few years, if prudent policies are not adopted,” said a renowned water expert.
“What matters the most are our water usage habits. We waste thousands of gallons of water daily in bathroom usage, car washing, floor cleaning and watering our gardens,” he stated.
He said our distribution system was also not updated and a lot of water was wasted through leakage. “Moreover, we also need a proper water metering system to ensure that everybody pays as per the calculation of water usage.”
In recent years, the change in weather patterns has also rung alarm bells for the policymakers with rising temperatures and irregular rainfall feared to further aggravate the situation.
Furthermore, rapid urbanization and illegal settlements in catchment areas have caused damage to the natural ecosystem, leading to soil erosion and reduced water storage capacity.
Torrential rains and flood-like situations in the capital have also affected catchment areas as well as the water distribution system while mismanagement and lack of awareness are other challenges for the authorities.
“We are cognizant of the situation and have recently recommended changes in existing by-laws proposing the construction of recharge wells for rainwater harvesting to replenish the city’s groundwater resource,” stated Deputy Director General Water (CDA) Sardar Khan Zimri.
He said the suggested amendments would make it mandatory for all homeowners to construct recharge wells alongside already constructed water tanks. “The recharge wells would help to ensure water storage as well as a recharge water table, which would help reduce the depletion rate.”
Zimri said, currently Islamabad’s water requirement was 220 million gallons per day (mgd) against the CDA’s daily supply of only 70mgd and this demand was set to increase further due to the rapidly growing population.
He also mentioned initiatives like the construction of new dams, upgrading water supply infrastructure and promoting water conservation practices to address the issue.
However, seeing the ground realities it is obvious that solely depending on rainwater harvesting or constructing recharge wells is not enough as there is a dire need to change the water usage habits of people.
If those consuming water rampantly are charged at the same rate as those using less water, the wastage cannot be controlled. There are thousands of residents of small government quarters and houses who are provided water through rationing.
But, contrary to this, there are hundreds of others who enjoy uninterrupted supply or are immediately provided water tankers by putting them on the VIP list. This discriminatory approach is also needed to be shunned to facilitate consumers across the board.
According to an official and renowned water expert, when Islamabad was built, the groundwater was just 50 feet low which has now downed to 500 to 600 feet. “There was a time when we could find water just after 50 feet down. But, now people have to dig down to 400 to 500 feet to find water.”
This water shortage issue, he said gave birth to the rapid growth of tanker mafia who were exploiting the needy people by charging for water as per their will.
“The water tanker that was being provided for Rs 600 to 700 a few years, was now being charged over Rs 2000 and even more. If this mafia is growing in glove in hand with CDA officials then strict punitive measures should be taken against both,” he emphasized.
He underlined the need for moving forward on war footing to address the water shortage issue before it becomes a nuisance for both the consumers and the city managers.
Making many wait for hours for water supply and providing others ample water for floor cleaning, floor and car washing, gardening is in no way justified.
Therefore, urgent action is required by implementing effective water management strategies, raising awareness, introducing water metering and improving water supply infrastructure to ensure equitable access of the residents to this resource.
