ISLAMABAD: Due to the unavailability of new dams, the open spillways of Simly and Rawal reservoirs are wasting an enormous quantity of water equivalent to the 50-day requirement of the entire Islamabad population — in a single day, exposing the long-standing failure of authorities to develop additional water storage infrastructure for the capital.
Following recent heavy rainfall, both Simly and Rawal dams reached their maximum capacity, forcing the authorities to release surplus water through their spillways to prevent overflow. On Monday night, one gate of Simly Dam was opened after the water level reached 2,315 feet, while Rawal Dam’s spillways were opened on Tuesday when the level touched 1,752 feet.
Official sources told Infra News PK that around 12,000 million gallons per day (mgd) were discharged from Rawal Dam and over 2,000 mgd from Simly Dam during recent releases — water that eventually flowed into the Indus River through the Sohan stream. “Every year, a massive quantity of water goes to waste simply because no mechanism exists to store the overflow,” an official lamented, adding that the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has yet to take practical steps to capture this excess water for reuse.
Islamabad’s water shortage has reached alarming levels, as the city receives only 70 mgd against an estimated demand of over 280 mgd. The CDA draws its limited supply from Simly and Khanpur dams and from tubewells, while the rural population depends on boreholes or small schemes run by the district administration. Documents show that the total demand, including distribution losses, stands at 283 mgd, leaving a gap of more than 175 mgd.
In the past, several plans — including Chinot Dam (in Simly’s catchment area) and Shahdara Dam (upstream of Rawal) — were announced to conserve overflow water, but none have moved beyond paperwork. The situation persists despite repeated promises by successive governments to address Islamabad and Rawalpindi’s worsening water crisis.
Recently, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif formed a task force headed by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi to look into the matter, while the federal government has also proposed creating an independent authority to oversee water projects such as the Ghazi Barotha project, which aims to supply 100 mgd each to Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
When approached, CDA spokesperson Shahid Kiani said the civic body is working on several initiatives to address the crisis. “Two small dams — Chinot and Shahdara — will be constructed, which will serve as reservoirs and help control silting,” he said. He added that the CDA is also constructing 100 groundwater recharge wells and 20 storage tanks to replenish the falling water table.
However, experts warn that without timely execution of these projects, Islamabad will continue to lose precious freshwater resources every monsoon season — water that could otherwise sustain the capital’s needs for weeks.
