After a gap of three decades, the supply of water from Rawal Dam to capital has been resumed. The Capital Development Authority (CDA) on Monday started receiving two million gallon per day (mgd) which is being stored in a treatment plant near the sports complex.

“We are very happy today as finally the supply of water from Rawal Dam has been restored,” said Special Assistant to Prime Minister on CDA Affairs Ali Nawaz Awan.

He stated that adding two million gallons of water per day to Islamabad’s supply system would help the CDA in overcoming the city’s water shortage. The CDA Chairman was told about an abandoned treatment plant during a related meeting on the water supply issue last year, and he ordered that it be restored to operational status. The plants will supply two million gallons of water per day which will be stored in reservoirs.

He provided funds to the water directorate in order to resurrect the defunct treatment plant. Later, the CDA paid the Small Dam Organization Rs.32 million in unpaid dues for the restoration of the dam’s supply.

Islamabad is considered a water-scarce city because it only receives 65 to 70 mgd of water every day, despite a total demand of 220 mgd. Simly Dam, Khanpur Dam, and Tubewells are the only sources of water in the capital city. However, these three water sources are decades old, and little attention was paid to discovering new water sources.