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Pakistan Approves Emergency Plan for Islamabad Water Crisis, Targets Two-Year Build for Dotara and Shahdara Dams

Officials set a 10-day roadmap deadline to push projects facing feasibility and financing uncertainties.

Overview

  • Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi chaired a high-level meeting that adopted an emergency-action plan and ordered a strict crackdown on water theft and misuse of connections.
  • Authorities approved the Dotara and Shahdara dams as priority projects with an intended delivery horizon of about two years, with WAPDA and the CDA directed to fast-track detailed feasibility work within two months.
  • Conflicting figures were reported for Dotara’s capacity, with government materials citing 110 MGD while another estimate puts supply at 72 mgd with a tentative construction cost of roughly Rs40 billion excluding land.
  • Shahdara was cleared as a smaller Margalla Hills project expected to supply about 10 mgd at an estimated cost of Rs4 billion.
  • Officials highlighted Islamabad’s supply gap of roughly 70 mgd against demand near 220 mgd and called for leak control, pipeline replacement, and joint federal–Punjab financing to support delivery.