Major Progress on Shahdara Dam Project

The Capital Development Authority (CDA) is finalizing the design of the proposed Shahdara Dam as it moves to start the project early to address water shortages in Islamabad.

CDA Chairman Muhammad Ali Randhawa reviewed progress on the project during a meeting on water issues held on Tuesday. A CDA spokesperson said the feasibility study for the Shahdara Dam has been completed, while the design phase is nearing completion.

Officials said the dam will be constructed in the Shahdara area and will have the capacity to store 10 million gallons of water per day for Islamabad. They said once the design is finalized, the PC-I will be presented to the CDA’s Development Working Party (DWP) for approval before the tendering process begins.

Officials added that more than 30 acres of land will be acquired for the project. The meeting also reviewed the proposed Dotara Dam, planned upstream of Khanpur Dam, with a capacity of 72 million gallons per day for Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

Officials said the feasibility study for the Dotara Dam is currently underway and is expected to be completed by May 2026.