Large parts of Rawalpindi city and the cantonment are facing a severe water shortage during the peak summer season, with residents blaming civic authorities for failing to resolve the deepening crisis.
Several neighbourhoods in the cantonment, including Misrial Road, Afshan Colony, Dhoke Chaudhrian, People's Colony, Adra, Tench Bhatta and Dhoke Syedan, are among the worst affected. In the city, areas extending from Koral Chowk to Ammar Chowk along the old Airport Road have also been hit after the Capital Development Authority (CDA) reportedly stopped supplying water from tubewells located within its jurisdiction. Residents say the prolonged disruption has made everyday life increasingly difficult.
Farhan Malik, a resident of Misrial Road, alleged that the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) had failed to ensure a reliable water supply despite sufficient water being available in Khanpur Dam. He said the shortage had become an annual summer ordeal, forcing many households to rely on expensive private water tankers. Mohsin Ali from Afshan Colony also criticised the cantonment authorities, saying residents continue to pay utility charges even though water is supplied only on alternate days and for limited hours.
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He questioned why private tanker operators were able to access water while the authorities had failed to expand the supply network or install additional tubewells to meet growing demand.
Residents along Airport Road expressed similar frustration. Fateh Mohammad said private tanker operators were charging exorbitant rates while the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) remained unable to provide a dependable supply. Another resident, Mohammad Nasir, criticised the government's spending priorities, arguing that billions of rupees had been allocated to road and underpass projects while basic services such as water continued to remain out of reach for many households.
Officials of the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board admitted that the gap between water demand and supply has continued to widen due to rapid urbanisation, limited allocations from Khanpur Dam, an inadequate number of tubewells and insufficient funds to develop new water infrastructure.
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