The Capital Development Authority (CDA) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to prepare an integrated master plan for Islamabad’s water supply, sewerage, sanitation and drainage systems up to 2050.
The 36-month project will cover ICT Zones 1 to 5, with detailed planning focused on Zone 1 and a strategic assessment of Zones 2 to 5. The plan will provide short-, medium- and long-term strategies to address the capital’s growing water and sanitation needs.
Under the project, existing and potential water sources will be assessed on the basis of availability, quality, reliability, climate risks, environmental impact and estimated costs. Proposals involving Tarbela, Chinot, Shahdara, Dotara and Chirah dams will also be reviewed.
The project will also examine water demand, treatment and distribution systems, storage capacity, water quality and measures to reduce non-revenue water and improve the overall efficiency of the supply network.
The sewerage component will assess wastewater collection and treatment facilities, sewer networks, sanitation in non-sewered areas and faecal-sludge management.
Meanwhile, the drainage assessment will identify flood-prone areas, vulnerable drainage networks and measures to reduce the impact of heavy rainfall and urban flooding.
The master plan is expected to provide a long-term roadmap for developing a more reliable, sustainable and climate-resilient water and sanitation system for Islamabad.
Karachi faces water shortage
In a separate development, A power failure at the Dhabeji pumping station disrupted several water pumps, raising concerns over water supply to parts of Karachi.
A Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) spokesperson said the electricity supply to several sections of the pumping station stopped at around 6am. K-Electric said a fault in its cable network caused the outage.
The outage affected the third and fourth phases of the pumping station and the K-III pump house. As a result, 10 of the station’s 21 pumps stopped working.
Dhabeji plays a key role in supplying water to Karachi, so any disruption at the facility can affect water supply in different parts of the city.
