Polluted streams feeding Rawal Dam in absence of treatment plants

ISLAMABAD: A failure of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to install sewage treatment plants for Rawal Dam has resulted in round-the-clock contamination of the reservoir with untreated sewage and solid waste making its way to the lake via streams, particularly Korang Nullah, in the catchment area.

The Rs6 billion project was planned a couple of years ago under the Public Sector Development Programme to be funded by the federal government but the government allocated merely Rs255 million for this project in the outgoing fiscal year. Since the money was not enough to start the project, the CDA has demanded Rs3.5 billion from the federal government for this project in the upcoming budget. Under the said project, the civic authority would establish treatment plants in the catchment areas, namely Shahdara, Bari Imam, and Banigala.

The issue of untreated sewage had also landed in the Supreme Court a few years ago and the court had asked the relevant authorities to resolve the matter.

“The contaminated water in Korang and other nullahs [which feed Rawal Dam] is a major issue and should be resolved on a priority basis,” said an official, adding that sewage from various settlements in Murree, Bari Imam, Bhara Kahu, and Banigala were a primary source of contamination of the reservoir.

Project to install sewage treatment plants stalled due to funding issues

In 2021, CDA had called for bids, which opened in July of the same year, but the contract could not be awarded within the stipulated time.

As a result, the validity time of the bid expired.

Then, the PC-I was revised escalating the cost of the project to Rs6 billion.

The CDA in January this year floated tenders but construction firms did not show any interest due to concerns about the funding for this project.

Sources said that the bid process flopped because of the funding issue, as the model of the project is Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC), with no escalation clause.

They said that contractors were of the view that the CDA had no adequate funds to get the project completed within 14 months, therefore, they avoided participation in the bidding process.

“This is a federal government funded project; for the fiscal year 2023-24, only Rs255 million were allocated…this year we have demanded at least 60 per cent allocation of the funds so that we can complete this project in time,” said an official. When contacted CDA’s spokesperson Kamran Aslam said that CDA was in the process of fresh bidding.

“We are completing the documentation before going into bidding,” he said and added that the CDA had also sought funds from the federal government in fiscal year 2024-25 to kick-start this project.