With the assistance of the Asian Development Bank, the Punjab government has accelerated the land purchase process intending to expedite work on the Chahar Dam project.
The Punjab government has earmarked Rs650 million for acquiring land, while the Asian Development Bank would provide 117 million US dollars to the project. Work on the project has begun under a fast-track program and will be completed by the end of the current fiscal year.
Sources reported that with the International Development Bank’s approval of a 117 million dollar grant, 12 million gallons of water?will be available daily?from Chahan Dam, which will supply six heavily populated union councils Girja-1, Girja-2, Mohri Ghazan, Chak Jalaldin, Lakhan, and Dhamyal.
Moreover, a new connection will be installed under the amended proposal to supply an additional five million gallons of water?daily from the Rawal Dam Treatment Plant to Rawalpindi.
Following that, the daily supply of water from Rawal Dam to Rawalpindi will increase to 28 million gallons, and WASA would no longer be required to operate its 80 to 90 tube wells. This will help to reduce electricity costs.
A water loop will be built to give a continuous water supply to the Khayaban-e-Sir Syed area, and water from the Rawal Dam and tube wells will be channeled to these locations.
WASA sources added that the Punjab government issued a formal directive to begin work on the Chahan Dam as soon as possible.
The finance department has also been given instructions to begin the land acquisition procedure as soon as possible.
In December 2018, the Punjab government granted an Rs5.3 billion project to bring six MGD of water from the Chahan Dam. The dam at Chakri is being built on the Sill Kus River. It is 22 km from the garrison city.
The dam’s design has been modified to ensure a?full-pressure water supply to the targeted regions. The route of distribution lines has been changed under the new design to supply water at maximum pressure and prevent water theft.