Khanpur: A potential water crisis threatens Rawalpindi and Islamabad as water levels in Khanpur Dam continue to decline, leaving enough reserves to meet demand for just over a month.
With visible rock beds emerging around the reservoir, especially near the main storage area and spillways, the situation underscores the growing impact of climate change and the concerning drop in the region’s water table.
If significant rainfall does not occur within the next 10 to 15 days, authorities warn the dam’s water level could reach the dead storage threshold, severely impacting supply.
Officials attribute the dwindling water levels to inadequate rainfall in the dam’s catchment areas, which include the Margalla Hills and Galiyat.
They indicated that both irrigation supplies to Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and domestic consumption in the twin cities would be affected if the current trend continues.
Currently, Khanpur Dam’s water level is 1,935 feet above mean sea level (AMSL), perilously close to its dead level of 1,910 AMSL.
A senior WAPDA official reported that daily inflow is only 82 cusecs, while outflow is at 235 cusecs—far surpassing the intake.
Of the outflow, 90 cusecs per day is supplied to the Capital Development Authority (CDA), while 6.18 cusecs goes to smaller civic institutions, including the University of Engineering and Technology in Taxila.
Meanwhile, KP receives 48 cusecs per day for irrigation and Punjab receives 42 cusecs. Given the deteriorating inflow, WAPDA plans to suspend irrigation water supply to both provinces as early as next week.
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To manage the situation, the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) has initiated a “Water Control Plan” that includes curbing water theft, imposing penalties on bill defaulters, and limiting non-essential water usage.
Officials noted that without rainfall in the short term, water levels could reach a critical low, worsening the crisis.
WASA sources confirmed that a water rationing schedule will be implemented in the latter half of May.
WASA Managing Director Mohammad Saleem Ashraf disclosed that Rawalpindi’s daily water demand currently exceeds 50 million gallons, while only 30 million gallons are being supplied—creating a daily shortfall of 20 million gallons.
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Located near the Potohar Plateau in Khanpur village, around 40 km from Islamabad and 15 km from Haripur, Khanpur Dam is a key source of water for domestic, agricultural, and industrial use in the twin cities and nearby regions.
