Abdul Ghani

The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has finalised the treatment technology for three sewage treatment plants (STPs) designed to manage wastewater entering Rawal Lake, according to a document available with Wealth Pakistan.

The project, pending for several years due to repeated tender cancellations, financial hurdles and procedural issues, has now gained momentum with Phase-I expected to begin soon. Earlier tender attempts were unsuccessful as the proposed technologies did not meet required technical standards.

To move the project forward, the CDA constituted a high-level Technical Committee comprising experts from the University of Engineering and Technology (UET) and the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST). After detailed evaluation, the Committee recommended adopting the Activated Sludge Process enhanced with modern filter media for wastewater treatment in the first phase.

This decision concerns STP-3, located in the Banigala catchment area, which will serve as the initial component of Phase-I. According to CDA’s directives, the selected technology will follow the Planning Commission’s standards for wastewater management and discharge into Rawal Lake.

The project is expected to be re-tendered by December 15, 2025, with STP-3 planned to become operational by June 2027. The initiative marks a key step toward mitigating pollution in Rawal Lake, improving water quality and ensuring long-term sustainability of one of Islamabad’s most important water sources.

The CDA’s careful selection of treatment technology reflects its renewed commitment to restoring the ecological health of Rawal Lake and securing cleaner water for communities dependent on this critical resource.

Credit: INP-WealthPk