ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has announced the construction of the Shahdara Dam project to help address Islamabad’s growing water needs, with the proposed reservoir designed to store 690 acre-feet of water and supply up to 10 million gallons daily to the federal capital.
The project is estimated to cost Rs3.62 billion, according to figures from the feasibility study cited in a National Assembly document.
Earlier reports put the estimated cost at around Rs4 billion, while the final cost may depend on the detailed design and project approvals.
The CDA has advertised for the prequalification of construction firms for the project on an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) basis.
The authority published the prequalification notice on October 12 and issued a corrigendum on October 27, indicating that the project has moved into the procurement process.
According to the feasibility figures, the proposed dam will be 33 metres high and 68 metres long, with a reservoir spread over 25 acres.
Its planned daily supply of 10 million gallons is intended to provide an additional source of water for Islamabad, where demand substantially exceeds the supply available from existing sources.
The latest CDA announcement says the project is being planned for completion within two years.
The authority has said the dam will play an important role in meeting the capital’s growing water needs and improving long-term water security.
Location and technical details
The dam is proposed on Shahdara Nullah in Shahdara Valley, within the Islamabad Capital Territory, in the Margalla Hills area.
The site was selected following a feasibility study conducted by the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda), which assessed it as suitable for the project.
The proposed structure is a concrete gravity dam, designed to retain water through its own weight. The feasibility study puts its gross storage capacity at 690 acre-feet, equivalent to approximately 225 million US gallons.
The reservoir’s 25-acre area refers to the proposed area covered by stored water, while the 690 acre-feet figure measures the volume it can hold. The separate 10-million-gallon daily figure represents the planned water supply to the city, rather than the reservoir’s total storage capacity.
The feasibility estimate of Rs3.62 billion covers the proposed project, while associated components include land acquisition, water conveyance and a treatment plant. The final approved cost and the precise scope of the works will be determined through the relevant planning and approval process.
Construction and approvals
In October, the CDA invited construction firms to seek prequalification for the project under the EPC model, under which a contractor is responsible for engineering, procurement and construction. A corrigendum was subsequently published on the authority’s website.
Earlier, CDA officials said the feasibility study had been completed and the detailed design was being developed.
The authority had also planned to acquire land for the reservoir and associated infrastructure, with a formal survey to be conducted before acquisition.
The two-year completion target is therefore a planned timeline, rather than confirmation that construction has been completed or that the dam is already supplying water.
Islamabad faces a widening water gap
The proposed dam is part of efforts to find additional water sources for Islamabad as its population and consumption needs grow.
The CDA has previously reported supplying around 70 million gallons per day against an estimated requirement of 220 million gallons.
Existing supplies come mainly from Simly Dam, Khanpur Dam and tube wells, leaving a substantial gap between demand and availability.
The authority has also been pursuing other water-management measures, including groundwater recharge wells, storage tanks, rainwater harvesting and improvements to the distribution network.
Shahdara Dam is one of the proposed projects intended to supplement these measures.
A separate project, Dotara Dam, is also planned upstream of Khanpur Dam and is intended to supply water to both Islamabad and Rawalpindi, with a proposed capacity of 72 million gallons per day.
The CDA says developing additional sources is necessary to improve the reliability of water supplies and address the capital’s long-term needs.
PAK SOUCH MEDIA GROUP
Daily Pak Souch Newspaper Sukkur – Daily Pak Special Newspaper Karachi – Daily Pak Today Newspaper Karachi – Daily Pak Jazbo Newspaper Sukkur
Head Office : Ayub Gate Shaikh Muhalla Near Rabbania Masjid Sukkur
Karachi Office : Office No. 1901-B, 19th Floor Saima Trade Tower (B) Block I.I Chandigarh Road Near Jung Press, Shaheen Complex & National Museum of Pakistan Karachi Sindh Pakistan.
Contact : 03009319022
Website 1 : https://paksouch.com/
Website 2 : https://sindhi.paksouch.com/
Website 3 : https://pakjazbo.com/
Website 4 : https://urdu.pakjazbo.com/
About The Author
