CDA to float international tender for Ghazi Barotha water project.

Byline: MUHAMMAD ASAD CHAUDHRY

ISLAMABAD -- The Capital Development Authority (CDA) is going to float an international tender to engage the services of a consultant to prepare fresh feasibility study for Ghazi Barotha water project.

The advertisement would be given in national and international dailies from project management unit established in CDA to pursue the said project.

Source informed that a consultant would be hired to conduct fresh surveys and studies and in light of these, a fresh feasibility study would be presented.

They told that the present government wants to execute this stalled project on priority basis due to shortage of water in the city at present.

The project envisions a 45-kilometre pipeline that, if executed, would bring water from the Indus River at Ghazi Barotha to Islamabad and then Rawalpindi.

The project was conceived in 2006, and its cost was estimated at Rs37 billion. The estimate was revised a few years ago and increased to Rs77 billion, and sources said that new estimates could rise to Rs100 billion.

When contacted, the Prime Minister's Special Assistant on CDA Affairs Ali Nawaz Awan told that we are actively pursuing said project and it would be implemented in a short span of time.

'The project is the need of the city and present government is fully committed to complete this project,' he added.

He said that once completed, the project would provide 100 million gallons per day (MGD) of water to Rawalpindi and Islamabad each.

The incumbent government had allocated a token amount in budget 2019-20 for this project, while various options are also being explored to fund this project. Sources said that according to previous estimates, the project would cost Rs77 billion. The CDA has been exploring various options, including a public-private partnership, to arrange funding.

At present, the capital have an overall requirement of 220 MGD of water for its urban and rural areas but receives on average 60 MGD for its urban areas only while rural residents depend either on water boring or small supply schemes.

CDA officials said that Islamabad, which...

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