Pakistan is currently facing a severe water shortage. According to the Indus River System Authority (IRSA), the water shortage in the country – first estimated at 22 per cent – is actually 38 per cent. Warnings were being sounded by experts about the impending water shortages for almost two months.
The shortage was expected after the country received 26pc less snowfall last winter compared to previous years, followed by a completely dry spell in March and April. Despite an early onset of summer, the snow melting process in mountainous and hilly areas has not picked up pace, putting further pressure on the national water supplies.
Together, these factors meant that Pakistan’s rivers would run dry. The two largest reservoirs, Tarbela and Mangla, hit dead level in March, much earlier than expected. Nearly all federating units of Pakistan are now under the double whammy of a terrible heat surge and a threat of water scarcity. Balochistan, southern Punjab, and Sindh are the worst affected. In these provinces, vegetation sowing trends will be severely impacted if the situation does not improve soon.
It is almost certain that the current water shortages will persist beyond summer into winter and the country may not have enough water for the Rabi crops, especially wheat, in the reservoirs, putting food security at risk. The country already ranks 14th among the 17 ‘extremely high water-risk’ regions in the world.
The water shortage also means contaminated water is being consumed by citizens who have no choice. There have been reports of several cases of cholera from Balochistan, Punjab, and Sindh – posing a serious threat to public health. Yet no government has shown any urgency to deal with the formidable challenges to the country’s 220m residents.
At this critical juncture, representatives of federal and provincial governments must come together to tackle the issue of water distribution for the provinces. To avoid any further disagreement and protests, the authorities must devise a consensus mechanism to gauge water influx and outflows at barrages and their subsidiary canals. They must figure out a way to prioritize areas with drought-like conditions.
