Rawalpindi may soon receive a major boost to its water supply as the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) has launched a Rs. 43 million feasibility study to bring 35 million gallons daily (MGD) from Daducha Dam.
The study, assigned to a consultant, will be completed within two months and will also include preparing a PC-I for a water treatment plant at the dam site.
Wasa Managing Director Saleem Ashraf said that while Rawal Dam and Khanpur Dam currently serve as the city’s main surface water sources, their supply is falling short. Rawal Dam provides 23 MGD against its 28 MGD capacity, while Khanpur contributes just 6 MGD due to low water levels. More than 60% of the city’s water still comes from groundwater extracted through 480 tube wells.
“With rising demand and declining groundwater recharge, switching to surface water is essential,” Ashraf stressed, adding that Rawal Dam has already exceeded 56 years of its useful life. Daducha Dam, to be constructed on the Ling River near Daducha village, will store stormwater and supply Rawalpindi with 35 MGD after treatment.
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The project will secure long-term water supply, recharge groundwater, reduce contamination, and cut high costs linked to groundwater extraction. It is also expected to improve environmental conditions and benefit low-income groups by ensuring a stable drinking water supply.
