Islamabad Needs 250 MGD Water, Faces 125 MGD Shortfall: CDA Chairman
CDA Chairman Sohail Ashraf tells Senate committee that the capital’s water demand has reached around 250 million gallons per day, outlines new dams, Simly pipeline and efforts to secure a larger share from Khanpur.
ISLAMABAD: The water availability issue encountered during the recent emergency at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) has brought Islamabad’s wider water shortage into focus, with Capital Development Authority (CDA) Chairman Sohail Ashraf telling a Senate committee that the federal capital is facing a daily shortfall of around 125 million gallons of water.
Briefing the committee on Islamabad’s water situation, the CDA chairman said there had been a water-related difficulty while responding to the emergency at PIMS. He placed the issue in the context of the capital’s broader supply constraints, saying Islamabad’s overall water requirement had risen to approximately 250 million gallons per day (MGD) while the shortage stood at roughly 125 MGD.
According to the chairman, around 100 MGD of water is currently being supplied to the city through the existing system. He said efforts were underway to increase supply through additional sources and major infrastructure projects.
CDA Plans New Dams and Supply Projects
Ashraf told the committee that Islamabad currently receives approximately 5 MGD from Rawal Dam.
He said work was progressing on several proposed dam projects aimed at addressing the capital’s long-term water needs. According to his briefing, WAPDA is working on two projects, the Punjab government on two others, while CDA will undertake another project.
One of the key schemes highlighted by the chairman was the Shahdara Dam, which he said would provide approximately 10 MGD of additional water once completed.
The projected capacity is consistent with CDA’s earlier official assessment. In February 2026, the authority said the proposed Shahdara Dam would have the capacity to supply approximately 10 million gallons of water per day to Islamabad. CDA had also said WAPDA had completed the feasibility process and that detailed design and subsequent project approvals would follow.
The CDA chairman further informed the committee that a new water conveyance line from Simly Dam was being developed to strengthen Islamabad’s supply system.
CDA has separately confirmed that work is planned on a main conduction pipeline from Simly Dam as part of measures to address water scarcity and rising demand in the federal capital. The authority has also been examining rehabilitation of the Simly filtration infrastructure and expansion of storage capacity.
Islamabad Seeks Larger Khanpur Water Share
Ashraf said the federal capital administration had also approached the Punjab government seeking an increase in Islamabad’s share of water from Khanpur Dam.
Khanpur remains one of Islamabad and Rawalpindi’s important shared water sources, with water treated at the Sangjani Water Treatment Plant and distributed according to approved allocations.
The latest briefing comes as Islamabad’s water infrastructure faces pressure from population growth and urban expansion. Recent reporting has also highlighted a substantial gap between demand and available supplies, although published estimates of both supply and demand have varied depending on the areas and sources included in calculations.
The water discussion has taken on added significance following the recent PIMS incident, which has prompted renewed scrutiny of emergency preparedness and safety arrangements at major public institutions in Islamabad. CDA has since intensified inspections and enforcement of fire and life-safety requirements at buildings and hospitals across the capital.
