LAHORE: A committee has been formed to examine the proposal for constructing a reservoir on Ling River in Rawalpindi, a news source quoted Irrigation Minister Mohsin Leghari. The development comes in the wake of the Supreme Court’s orders to construct Dadhocha Dam near Sihala for the provision of water to Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
Leghari said the issue was raised during a cabinet meeting presided over by Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, who formed a committee that has been tasked to look into the matter. The members, besides Leghari, include Law Minister Muhammad Basharat Raja, and Public Health Engineering Minister Mian Mahmoodur.
The committee would frame its terms of reference (ToRs) soon. Moreover, Officials of the Cabinet Wing said they would finalise the proposal after receiving written instructions from the apex court.
The proposed dam will have the capacity to store 35 million gallons of water. A study conducted a decade ago revealed that Rawalpindi needed 25 million gallons of water at the time. The reservoir, considering its storage capacity, will be able to meet drinking requirements of a couple of housing societies located on the outskirts of Islamabad.
The Planning and Development (P&D) Department has already approved the construction of Dadhocha Dam at a cost of PKR 6,027 million. The project is expected to be completed in three years.
