Islamabad Becomes First City To Successfully Launch “Rain Water Harvesting Programme”.

The Capital Development Authority (CDA) is the first ever municipality and Islamabad is the first city of the country to successfully launch the Rain Water Harvesting Programme to re-charge the underground water table. The Pilot Rain Water Harvesting Project has been initiated at the compound of the Faisal Masjid, however, the CDA has made comprehensive arrangements to replicate this network across the Federal Capital to benefit from this primary source of water – the rain. Chairman CDA, Imtiaz Inayat Elahi expressed these views while talking to media after inaugurating the first ever rain water harvesting project initiated by CDA at the Faisal Masjid in collaboration with the United Nation Development Programme (UNDP) and Pakistan Council of Research for Water Resources (PCRWR). The Chairman CDA said that Islamabad has a huge potential to benefit from this concept to overcome the water shortage in the city. He said that CDA has envisaged several projects to extend the network of rain water harvesting initiatives including introduction of roof-top water collection system at old Naval Headquarters Building, incorporating rain water collection system in the Zero Point Interchange Project and infiltration of water runoff from surrounding of Kachnar Park Sector I-8 through Swales and Soak ways in addition to making preparatory work for beginning rain water harvesting system in different city parks.

Imtiaz Inayat Elahi said that a amendment has been made in the CDA Building by-laws for constructing the roof top 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 standardizing the roads drainage network for future sectors is being carried out to have rain water harvesting for making the new sectors environment friendly. Cleaning of ravines, being the integral part of rain water harvesting mechanism, is being carried out in collaboration with the partner organizations. He said that under this programme Barri Imam Streams is being cleaned with bio-remediation techniques with the technical assistance of Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC). He said that this model would be replicated in the other streams to revive their natural flow. He said that a task force for cleaning of the streams and ravines consisting of CDA officers and Civil Society has been constituted to actively pursue this programme. He said that task force has successfully taken up the work of cleaning of ravine of Sector E-7 where substantial work has been done.

The CDA has taken up the issues with the major polluters including Air and Naval Headquarters and housing societies in Sector E-11 and has urged them for construction of their own Sewage Treatment Plants STP). He said that Metro Cash and Carry Store and Quaid-e-Azam University are constructing their own STP. Similarly, the entire sewage of the Village Chak Shahzad has been diverted to NARC farm for treatment through bio-remediation and utilization of the treated water by NARC. The Chairman CDA said that CDA is making concrete efforts to make Islamabad an environment friendly city and a model municipality for the rain water harvesting initiatives. He said that cooperation of the allied organizations is imperative to make this venture a success. He said that CDA has started the system of penalties against those involved in water wastage with the view to conserve water for our day to day needs.