Supreme Court issues notice as Khanpur Dam pollution threatens five million people

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has raised serious concern over the rising pollution levels in Khanpur Dam, which provides drinking water to millions of people in Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

A constitutional bench, headed by Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan, took up a suo motu case about the supply of contaminated water from the reservoir and issued a notice to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa advocate general for an explanation.

During the hearing, WAPDA’s counsel Hasan Raza said Khanpur Dam is the only source of water for about five million residents. He informed the court that pollution had worsened as boating activity increased sharply in recent years.

“Earlier there were only 20 boats on the reservoir. Now there are 326, along with six recreational resorts built along the lake,” he told the bench.

Judges question lack of control

Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail noted that the Parks and Horticulture Authority existed to regulate such activities and said there should be a clear policy to manage the area. Justice Shakeel Ahmad added that the dam administration had the authority to restrict or ban motorboats, which appear to be the main source of contamination.

Justice Aamer Farooq asked how these boats were allowed to operate without proper approval. In response, the WAPDA lawyer said a petition had been submitted to a magistrate but the issue grew worse after Khanpur was declared a tehsil.

When asked about possible solutions, the counsel proposed replacing fuel-powered boats with electric ones to reduce pollution.

The court adjourned the hearing indefinitely and sought a detailed response from the provincial authorities.

Located about 50 kilometres from Islamabad, Khanpur Dam sits on the Haro River in Haripur district. It forms the scenic Khanpur Lake, which serves as a vital water source for both Islamabad and Rawalpindi while also attracting heavy tourist traffic each year.