ISLAMABAD - The internal rift between Capital Development Authority and Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad has put the water supply from Simly filtration plant to the capital city at stake.
According to a letter written by an Assistant Director Production Division of the Water Supply Directorate, the supply of potable water to the city would be stopped after next two days, as stock of Aluminium Sulphate-a chemical used for the treatment and purification of drinking water, is quite inadequate.
The letter urged the director water supply to bring the situation into the notice of high-ups that if the required amount of aluminium sulphate would not be supplied then the division would be forced to stop the supply of water.
“The present available stock of Aluminium Sulphate at Simly Filtration Plant can hardly meet the requirement for next two days and thereafter the further treatment of raw water could not be possible due to its non-availability”, the letter warned.
It informed that the division has already reported the alarming situation but nothing has been done so far and if the procurement would not be made they will be forced after Saturday’s evening to stop the supply of potable water to the city.
Source inside the MCI informed The Nation that a contract for the supply of aforementioned chemical to Simly Dam had already been expired and since December 2018 the water supply directorate is treating the water by arranging said chemical through stopgap arrangements.
When contacted, Mayor of Islamabad Shaikh Ansar Aziz has blamed Capital Development Authority for non-allocation of funds for fresh tendering process and complained the unavailability of funds.
“We are handicapped in absence of funds as earlier same was being provided by the CDA”, he said, adding: “CDA management should release funds so that we can invite fresh tenders.”
Simly and Khanpur dams are the major sources of water supply to the urban areas of the federal capital in addition to the water supply from tube wells. The stoppage of water supply from Simly Dam would ultimately create huge problem for the citizen but the high-ups of both civic bodies are at loggerhead over provision of funds.
The water supply function was devolved to MCI after the formation of local government set up in Islamabad as earlier it was under the direct control of CDA.
Earlier, CDA was providing funds, as government-to-government loan arrangement in previous government of Pakistan Muslim League as there was no special funds allocation for MCI in budget but now the city authority is reluctant to feed further.
When contacted, Spokesperson of CDA Syed Safder Ali told that the water supply came under the domain of MCI and if it needs funds then it should take up this matter with interior ministry.
“Even, the MCI has a huge amount collected under different heads but stashed in bank accounts”, he informed further, questioning: “Why they are not using these funds to meet the expenditures”.