ISLAMABAD: Capital Development Authority (CDA) Chairman Imtiaz Inayat Elahi on Tuesday directed the teams concerned to make 20 more projects of rainwater harvesting functional before the on-set of the monsoon.
Elahi was presiding over a meeting to review the progress on Rain Water Harvesting programme. He said CDA intended to benefit from the natural source of water to re-charge underground water table.
After launch of the unique Rain Water Harvesting Programme at Faisal Mosque in April, which is a landmark achievement, CDA has identified 20 more sites for the purpose. CDA has become the first municipality of the country to benefit from the natural source of water by tapping the rainwater that in the past had been drained in the natural nullah to go waste, the CDA chairman was informed.
The new sites for rainwater harvesting programme that would be executed before the monsoon rainfall include drainage of Faisal Avenue Margallah Road and Faisal Mosque, Eastern Ravine of E-7, Western Ravine of E-7, Ravine located at East of E-7, Drainage of Faisal Avenue at F-8/3, Drainage of Faisal Avenue at F-7/2, Drainage of F-7/4 South of Fazl-e-Haq Road, Linear Park between F-6/3 and F-5/2, Children Park in Street 10, F-6/3, Drainage of Club Road, Drainage of Faisal Avenue Shakarparian Chowk and Zero-Point, Runoff from the Park Between I-8 and H-8, Drainage of Shakarparian Chowk, Drainage of I-8 Markaz near Imambargah, Use of abandoned tube-well (8/54) in Sector I-9/4, use of abandoned tube-well (7/55) in Sector I-9/2, AGPR Building G-8, Runoff from I-9/4 and STP.
The officials told the meeting that average annual rainfall was1.2 meter and if all this runoff water was tapped and infused into the ground using these inverter re-charge well, it would certainly bring about a marvelous change in the environment.
Elahi said CDA had made a comprehensive arrangement to replicate a successful model of rainwater harvesting launched early this year across the capital to benefit from this primary source of water. He said the Authority had envisaged several projects to extend the network of rainwater harvesting initiatives. He said different techniques including dug-wells, swales and soak ways would be used for incorporating rainwater harvesting systems at different avenues, interchanges and city parks.
He also said an amendment had been made in the CDA building by-laws for constructing the rooftop water collection/rain water harvesting systems in houses build on plots having area of 400 square yards or more. He said that the study for standardising the roads drainage network for future sectors was being carried out to have rainwater harvesting to make the new sectors environment friendly.
He said, “Cleaning of ravines, being the integral part of rainwater harvesting mechanism, is being carried out in collaboration with the partner organizations.” Under this programme Barri Imam streams are being cleaned with bio-remediation techniques with the technical assistance of Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC), he added.
