ISLAMABAD: Islamabad Chamber of Small Traders (ICST) on Sunday said that the government should take notice of water scarcity in the country and take steps to overcome it.
“Looming drought should be noticed to save country from water insecurity which is taking a toll on the masses, agriculture and industry,” said Islamabad Chamber of Small Traders Patron Shahid Rasheed Butt. He said that water resources are rapidly decreasing per capita. Water availability has decreased by 80 percent since 1951, while no mega water storage project has been constructed after the completion of the Tarbela Dam, he added.
Shahid Rasheed said that climate change has disturbed the rainfall pattern while overdependence on groundwater has reduced its level to alarming limits. He said that existing dams have limited capacity to store water which has resulted in lack of electricity, limited protection from floods and inadequate water for masses.Agriculture and industry situation is getting serious by the passage of time.
The entire country is coming under extreme water strain, but the situation in Balochistan is much more critical where groundwater shortage has reached catastrophic proportions.
“Some reports blame excessive groundwater utilisation by mining industry while federal and provincial government continue to blame each other for the situation without realising the magnitude of the situation,” he said. He added that the depletion of groundwater resources have little to do with the climate and much more to do with the scale of irresponsible water consumption throughout the country and Balochistan province.
