What happened
The spillways of Rawal Dam were opened on Saturday for the first time this monsoon season after the reservoir filled to capacity following heavy rain in its catchment areas, Dawn reported.
The gates were opened for five hours, from 6am to 11am, to drain excess water after the level rose to 1,748 feet. A Small Dam Organisation official said sirens were sounded for 30 minutes before the spillways were opened so that people living along the Korang Nullah downstream would avoid fishing and bathing, because the release of a large volume of water could be dangerous.
Water and Sanitation Agency Managing Director Azizullah Khan said the dam had filled for the first time in the current monsoon spell and that this would be adequate for Rawalpindi’s water supply until the winter season. He put the current level at 1,748 feet against the dam’s maximum capacity of 1,952 feet, and said last year the reservoir filled more than 10 times during the monsoon.
Why it matters
The twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad rely on water from three main dams — Rawal, Simly and Khanpur. Rawalpindi city and cantonment are supplied from Rawal and Khanpur, while Islamabad draws from Simly and Khanpur; the remaining requirement is met through tube wells.
Khan said the stored water was enough for 85 days of the twin cities’ needs, and that less rain had fallen in the catchment areas of Khanpur Dam, which remained at 50 per cent of its storage capacity. He expected more rain in the upper parts of the twin cities until 5 August, which would raise both the dam levels and the underground water table.
The wider supply gap
Rawalpindi has more than 500 tube wells in the city and 200 in the cantonment areas, according to Dawn. The city’s water demand is about 68 million gallons a day, while total extraction stands at 51 MGD — 35 from tube wells and 16 from the dams — leaving a deficit of 17 MGD that officials expect to widen to 34 MGD by 2030.
The report said a water shortage could arise in the cantonment areas and Islamabad in the coming days if rain did not fall in the catchment areas of Khanpur Dam, even as the monsoon spell continued to fill Rawal.
Sources & reporting notes
This is a summary of published reporting, not independent reporting. Details are as carried by the cited source, which was reviewed on 2 August 2026.
- Dawn — "Spillways opened after heavy showers fill Rawal Dam to brim"2 August 2026 · The five-hour spillway release, reservoir levels, Wasa's supply outlook and the Khanpur Dam shortfall.
