Rawalpindi: Construction on the Daducha Dam in Rawalpindi has resumed after a hiatus of over two years. The Punjab Planning and Development Department approved the cost revision from Rs6.4 billion to Rs12.7 billion.
Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chatha confirmed that the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) had resumed work to complete the dam in two years. This will provide the garrison city with 35 million gallons of water daily (MGD).
The cost of the dam construction project has increased from Rs1.550 billion to Rs3.992 billion due to the rising prices of construction materials and land. The Supreme Court has instructed the compensation of the landowners at market rates.
The dam is located upstream of the Soan River and aims to collect rainwater from the Murree and Kahuta hills in a reservoir near Daducha village. The project is expected to address the water scarcity in Rawalpindi and provide an anticipated 35 MGD supply upon completion.
Land acquisition for the project started in 2010, and construction began in 2018. However, the construction work was stopped in 2021 due to a legal dispute over the pricing of the land with the landowners. The earthwork and excavation for the construction of the spillway structure had almost been completed when the Lahore High Court (LHC) ordered a stay on the project.
Later, the irrigation department appealed the LHC’s decision to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court reserved the judgment in February 2022 and finally announced its decision on September 11, 2023. The commissioner expects to make unhindered progress now that the right-of-way obstacles are almost cleared.
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