ISLAMABAD: A sub-committee of the Senate’s Standing Committee on Science and Technology has directed the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to resolve issues related to the supply of water to the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) before summer.
Convener Senator Dr Afnanullah Khan, while presiding over a meeting of the Senate body, reviewed in detail the issues related to water supply, land, fines, allotment, layout plan, various administrative and legal matters between NUST and CDA.
NUST Director Works, while giving a detailed briefing, said that the University has more than 20,000 students, teachers, and other administrative staff. He said that the water shortage in summer is a matter of concern, whereas groundwater is harmful to health.
He said that in 2005, the CDA board approved PC-1 for NUST water supply, through which 3 million gallons of water will be provided from Shah Allah Ditta. NUST had provided Rs. 22 million to the CDA in 2002 for the pipeline, which has not yet been completed. A 51-million-gallon water plant was established at Sangjani, which had to supply water to 14 sectors, but the problems arose at five places in G12 and G13 along the pipeline. If the problems at the three places were resolved, NUST University would have gotten water.
The convener of the committee said that the institution has already paid Rs 25 million to the CDA for water in 2002, and, keeping the importance of this prestigious institution in view, the CDA should have found an effective solution to this.
The Director General of Water, CDA, told the committee that the water supply line is 36 kilometres long, out of which a 32 km pipeline has already been laid, and only 4 km is left. Dr Afnanullah directed the CDA officials to resolve the issue within a month and submit a report to the committee.
The Committee was informed that the Federal Government Employees Housing Authority has not made any arrangements to make the used water usable, which is also affecting the groundwater. In 2013, NUST raised this issue with the CDA and this issue has also been raised in the Federal Ombudsman. The CDA should arrange for bypassing the drains and passing them through an underground pipeline. On which the Convener Committee directed the CDA to provide a comprehensive report and strategy to resolve this issue in the next meeting.
The subcommittee also summoned officials from the Federal Government Employees Housing Authority for the next meeting.
The committee was informed about the NUST land. Around 706 acres of land was allotted to NUST University in Sector H12. In 2003, NUST submitted a master plan to the CDA, and construction work started on it in 2005. NUST submitted the building plan to CDA for the first time in 2011, on which the CDA stopped the construction work until the master plan was approved, and the CDA had imposed a fine of Rs43.4 million on 26 buildings that were constructed without approval. In 2012, the master plan of NUST was approved, and the building plan was also submitted in 2014, then in 2015, plans for 34 buildings were submitted. CDA officials said that it is against the law to carry out construction before the layout plan. In 2015, the Federal Audit Office directed the recovery of Rs43.4 million regarding the construction of 26 blocks that were constructed without approval. Dr Afnanullah said that this is an educational institution in which thousands of students are studying, a solution should be found for its improvement. This problem should be solved legally, and how its charges can be reduced. The CDA board should review these charges and provide a report.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025