Over a Dozen WASA Tube Wells shut down in Islamabad over depleting groundwater

ISLAMABAD – What started as effort to meet growing water demand in Rawalpindi ended with major intervention by Capital Development Authority (CDA). After years of groundwater extraction through tube wells along Islamabad Expressway, falling water tables, drying household boreholes, and mounting public complaints prompted authorities to step in. CDA revoked WASA Rawalpindi’s permission and ordered the immediate closure of more than a dozen tube wells to safeguard Islamabad’s rapidly depleting groundwater reserves. The controversial permission was granted couple years back and it allowed WASA Rawalpindi to install 15 tube wells in the green belt stretching from Faizabad to the Koral Interchange. However, subsequent assessments revealed that the approval had been issued without a comprehensive evaluation of groundwater conditions and the potential environmental impact of large-scale water extraction. According to CDA officials, excessive pumping from the tube wells triggered big drop in underground water table, leaving numerous domestic boreholes and private tube wells in nearby residential areas dry. The resulting water shortages sparked frustration among residents, who accused the agency of jeopardizing local water resources to meet growing demand elsewhere. Public anger intensified as affected communities lodged complaints with senior authorities and staged protests, demanding an immediate halt to groundwater extraction within Islamabad’s limits. Residents warned that unchecked pumping was threatening the long-term availability of water in several neighborhoods. Taking notice of the escalating situation, CDA’s competent authority ordered the withdrawal of the NOC and directed that all similar approvals for groundwater extraction in adjoining areas of the Islamabad Expressway be cancelled. The move signals a tougher stance on groundwater management amid rising concerns over dwindling water reserves in the federal capital. The directive was iss