Pindi braces for acute water crisis

Residents of Rawalpindi have called upon civic agencies to proactively address the looming water shortage before the onset of summer, particularly in densely populated areas.

People living in various consistently suffer the most during peak summer season every year.

Although the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) operates 480 tube wells throughout the garrison city, the agency continues to struggle to meet public water needs. This persistent shortfall is attributed to necessary repairs in some tube wells and challenges arising from declining water tables, which reach depths of 400 to 600 feet in specific areas.

Despite receiving 13 million gallons of water daily from Rawal Dam and an additional six million gallons from Khanpur Dam, Wasa often finds itself unable to adequately address the increasing water demands of the growing population.

Tanker mafia

These circumstances compel consumers to purchase water tankers from the water mafia that exploits consumers by charging them double. Amjad Ali, a resident of Muslim Town complained, “Every summer we face water shortage, especially during peak summer season.”

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He said despite authorities’ assertions of uninterrupted water supply, our needs remain unmet. Highlighting issues such as ruptured pipelines, underperforming tube wells, and resident-induced water wastage, he emphasised the shared responsibility for water provision and conservation. “We are not blaming Wasa alone as water provision and its conservation is a shared responsibility. But we need a mechanism to address these challenges,” he added.

Workable strategy

Residents have complained of water shortages and have urged to formulate a workable strategy to timely address these issues.

Naeem Ahmed, a resident of Ariya Mohalla shared that, “This issue prevails every summer season. Despite official claims, numerous residents endure prolonged waiting time which lasts hours, sometimes even days, for the sake of water. Whether it is due to resource scarcity or capacity constraints, we, the residents, become the ultimate victims,” he lamented. He complained that these dire circumstance forces residents into purchasing tanker water which puts financial strain on them.

Another resident, Rashid Mahmood pointed out uncheck operations of private water tankers who charge excessively as per their mood and will. He shared these tanker operators exploit the residents during the peak shortage by charging Rs3,000 to Rs5,000 per tanker.

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Currently, the country is facing a widespread water shortage, necessitating immediate implementation of efficient strategies and stringent measures.

‘All is well’

Commenting on this situation, Wasa Managing Director Muhammad Tanveer claimed to make all-out efforts to address this issue. He said, “We are working to resolve the water woes, we ensure the water supply is uninterrupted.” He claimed that the water shortage in the city was being met by WASA’s water tankers.

He added, “In addition to ensuring timely supply of pipe water, we also ensure that our staff fully cooperates with citizens.” Wasa Assistant Director M Ahmed and Sub Engineer M Tufail have also claimed that there was no water shortage in Rawalpindi.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 25^th, 2024.