Fact-check: Is Punjab govt building near Rawal Dam without EPA approval?

Last month, several media outlets reported that officials informed a Senate committee that the Punjab government was constructing an official residence near Rawal Dam in Islamabad without approval from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The news sparked a debate on social media about the validity of these allegations.

The claim is indeed true.

Claim

On November 7, an official reportedly told the Senate Standing Committee for Climate Change that the Punjab government was constructing a camp office for Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif near Rawal Dam without obtaining necessary approvals.

Rawal Dam, a key reservoir supplying water to Islamabad and Rawalpindi, is located within the Margalla National Park — a protected area.

The official further stated that trees had been felled, and portions of the park had been illegally encroached upon for construction.

This revelation fueled widespread discussion on social media about the authenticity of the news reports.

Fact

Geo Fact-Check verified the claim with multiple sources and found it to be accurate.

A senior official at the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) in Islamabad, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed receiving complaints earlier in August about illegal construction by the Punjab government around the Rawal Dam.

"There is construction happening at two or three locations in the area, none of which was reported to us," the senior official said. "Our inspection revealed ongoing construction on the left side of the Dam’s spillway, and significant tree-cutting has taken place. The site falls within Margalla National Park, a protected area."

Two other EPA officials, Muhammad Ramzan, an assistant director, and Amir Abbas, a director, also corroborated this.

Ramzan told Geo Fact-Check that no approval has been sought from the EPA by the Punjab government while Abbas said that there was significant construction happening on the left side of the dam.

"Large, multi-story buildings, rest houses, and more are being built, which is absolutely without EPA approval," he said.

Neither have the Environment Protection and Climate Change Department in Punjab been sent any such project by the provincial government for approval, two officials told Geo Fact-Check.

Additionally, a senior official from Punjab's communication and works department, tasked with the project, also confirmed the development.

"Around 50% of the work is complete so far, then it will be up to the [Punjab] government to decide how or for what they want to use this government house," he said.

He further explained that the project began in August at a cost of Rs360 million and will likely be completed by February 2025. The land being built on, he added, was owned by the Punjab irrigation department.

Officials from the Punjab irrigation department did not respond to Geo Fact-Check’s requests for comments.

Furthermore, Google Earth imagery reveals a reduction in trees at the construction site near the Rawal Dam spillway. 

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