One-month ban imposed on car washing in Rawalpindi as water crisis deepens

In view of the Pakistan Meteorology Department’s alert which warns of minimum chances of rain in Rawalpindi in February and March, the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) has imposed drought emergency in the city to manage the water requirements of the residents.

Wasa Managing Director (MD) Muhammad Saleem Ashraf has said that due to the drought, rapidly growing population, various commercial activities, and limited resources, the supply of water to the residents of the garrison city has been affected.

“Wasa is facing great difficulties in the provision of water and in view of this situation, it has been decided to impose one-month ban on washing cars at service stations and at homes. 
Wasa MD has instructed that people should avoid washing cars and floors of their homes besides watering gardens. He warned that strict action would be taken against violators. 
He has also informed that a water conservation campaign has been launched in the city since there has been very little amount of rainfall during the last three months.

The MD has further said that a prolonged dry spell has also resulted in a sharp decline in water levels in dams, Rawal and Khanpur, and underground reservoirs which created a huge gap in the demand and supply. 

“Rawalpindi requires 68 million gallons of water daily, while 51 MGD is being provided from the existing resources,” he has said, warning that fines would be imposed in cases of violation.

The Wasa official has gone on to say that groundwater is depleting rapidly. In the 1990s, the water level was 100 feet but now it has receded to 700 feet, he informed.

He, however, has said that more funds will be spent on the tube wells which supply groundwater to residents.

For the service stations, hotels, and restaurants, the MD has said it is mandatory for the service stations to install a water recycling system at their outlets. 

It may be mentioned here that the Punjab environmental department has already banned car washing and the use of water pipes at homes. A fine of Rs10,000 will be imposed on violators.

It was recently reported that water supply from Khanpur Dam to Rawalpindi and Islamabad will be curtailed from 28.6 million gallons daily (MGD) to 10 MGD from February 9 to February 22 due to the dredging of the dam’s left bank canal.

According to the Capital Development Authority’s Khanpur Dam Division, the water supply from Khanpur Dam will “remain suspended” from Feb 10 to Feb 19 for the annual desilting of the Left Bank Canal.

Reporter: Tayyab Saif