TAXILA: A severe water shortage is looming over Rawalpindi and Islamabad as water levels at Khanpur Dam continue to fall, with authorities warning that current reserves could last only 35 more days if there is no significant rainfall.
Dry conditions have left large portions of the dam exposed, particularly at the main reservoir and spillways, with rocks and sandbanks now visible—an alarming sign of both climate change impact and falling groundwater levels. Officials warn that if rainfall does not occur within the next 10 to 15 days, the water level may drop dangerously close to the dam’s dead level.
Khanpur Dam, which relies on rainfall in the Margalla Hills and Galiyat regions, has seen minimal precipitation this season, worsening the situation. Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) officials reported on Tuesday that the current water level is 1,935 feet above mean sea level—just 25 feet above the dam’s dead storage level of 1,910 feet.
With inflows into the dam down to just 82 cusecs and outflows at 235 cusecs per day, authorities are considering emergency measures. Currently, 90 cusecs per day are being provided to the Capital Development Authority (CDA), with an additional 6.18 cusecs supplied to other institutions and smaller users, including the University of Engineering and Technology in Taxila. For irrigation, 48 cusecs are being sent to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 42 cusecs to Punjab.
Due to the persistent dry spell, dam authorities plan to halt irrigation water supplies to KP and Punjab as early as next week to preserve drinking water.
In response to the crisis, the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) has activated a “Water Control Plan,” which includes strict action against water theft, fines for bill defaulters, and limits on non-essential water use. WASA officials warned that without rain, water levels could reach a critical low by mid-May.
According to WASA Managing Director Mohammad Saleem Ashraf, Rawalpindi currently faces a daily water shortfall of 20 million gallons, with demand at over 50 million gallons and supply limited to just 30 million.
Khanpur Dam, located near the Potohar Plateau and the village of Khanpur in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa—around 40km from Islamabad and 15km from Haripur—is a key source of drinking and irrigation water for the twin cities and surrounding agricultural and industrial areas.
