Pakistan's water mismanagement pushes Rawalpindi, Islamabad towards crisis
Rawalpindi, May 23
Pakistan's worsening governance failures have deepened the water emergency in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, where residents are now facing severe shortages as summer temperatures rise. The daily water deficit in Rawalpindi city and cantonment areas has climbed to more than 60 million gallons, while officials fear the situation could worsen further in the coming months, as reported by The Express Tribune.
According to The Express Tribune, the combined daily water demand in Rawalpindi and its cantonment zones has reached approximately 130 million gallons. However, authorities are currently able to provide less than 70 million gallons per day, leaving a massive gap between supply and consumption. Officials continue to pin hopes on long-delayed infrastructure schemes, including the Chahan Dam, Daducha Dam and Cherah Dam projects.
Once completed, these projects are expected to add nearly 80 million gallons of water to the system each day. Yet water experts warn that the increasing population of the twin cities may outpace these additions before the projects even become operational. Broader plans aimed at supplying 200 million gallons of water daily to Rawalpindi and Islamabad through the Ghazi Water Channel from the Indus River have remained stalled for years. The project was originally envisioned to expand gradually to 500 million gallons in multiple phases, but little meaningful progress has been achieved.
The crisis has become especially severe in cantonment areas. The Rawalpindi Cantonment Board reportedly requires around 50 million gallons of water every day, but currently receives only about 12.78 million gallons through Khanpur Dam allocations and tube wells. This has created a shortage exceeding 37 million gallons daily, leaving residents struggling to secure basic water access, as cited by The Express Tribune.
Meanwhile, Rawalpindi city, managed by the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA), faces a daily requirement of nearly 70 million gallons. Supplies from Khanpur Dam, Rawal Dam and underground tube wells together provide only 51.5 million gallons, resulting in an additional shortfall of 18.5 million gallons, as reported by The Express Tribune.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Classic case of poor planning and corruption. The Ghazi Water Channel project has been stalled for years - where's the accountability? Meanwhile the common man suffers while politicians make hollow promises. Reminds me of how we treat our own water projects in India. At least we have the Jal Jeevan Mission trying to fix things.
As someone from Bangalore who faced the Cauvery water crisis, I feel for the people of Rawalpindi. But we must also remember that water wars between states happen here too. The difference is our Supreme Court and tribunals often step in. In Pakistan, these issues get politicized. Hope they learn from India's Narmada and Cauvery management models, despite their flaws.
60 million gallons daily deficit is shocking. We take water for granted in many parts of India, but this shows how fragile infrastructure can be. On the positive side, Pakistan has the Indus River - if they can't manage that, it's pure mismanagement. India should offer technical help under humanitarian grounds. Water knows no borders. 🤝
The article mentions Khanpur Dam supplying only 12.78 million gallons when 50 million is needed. That's a 75% shortfall! In India, we've seen similar failures with the Krishna and Godavari projects. The key difference is we have the CWC (Central Water Commission) monitoring things. Pakistan's water governance seems completely broken. Time for a complete overhaul.
As an Indian who has studied water management, I must point out that
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