Water Crisis in Pakistan

Submitted to: Ma’am Ayesha Hanif

Group Members:
Ayesha Asghar, 150
Sajid Ali,158
OmaimahIrfan, 132
RameenAther, 185
ZainabWaseem, 175
ShifaAmjad, 141
RamishNadeem, 166
 Table of Contents
Introduction………………………………………………………………1
Early History……………………………………………………………..1
Origin of Water Issue…………………………………………………….2
Indus Water Treaty and its conflict……………………………………….2
Causes of Water Shortage………………………………………………3
Impacts of water shortage………………………………………………4
Construction of dams……………………………………………………5
a. Mangla Dam………………………………………………………5
b. Tarbela Dam…………………………………………………………6
c. Kalabagh Dam………………………………………………………7
Water usage by different sectors………………………………………….8
Water availability in dams………………………………………………9
Misuse of water resources………………………………………………10
Steps taken by the Government…………………………………………10
Using water effectively and efficiently………………………………….15
Water conservation strategies………………………………………….16
Pakistan is running dry………………………………………………..17
Conclusion……………………………………………………………..17
References
Introduction:
If we look at a satellite picture of Pakistan and Sindh, it is quite clear that the River
Indus is a pivotal water source for Sindh as it is the only source of freshwater that
sustains the people, and the economy of Sindh. Indus is the longest river of the
Subcontinent, about1900 miles long. The Indus river system comprises of seven rivers
including the River Indus itself.
The five rivers of Punjab – Bias, Sutluj, Ravi, Chanab, and Jehlem discharge in Indus at
MithanKot and the Kabul River at Attock. Present water crises that have engulfed
Pakistan are not so much a result of general water shortage, as some would want us to
believe. As a matter of fact, these crises are a result of never ending greed and
mismanagement of the water resources by the powers that governed Pakistan. This
presentation will talk about the origin of the water issue, the effects it is leaving on the
economy, and the steps that we can take to solve this problem.

Early History:
Basically, the water issue is between Sindh and Punjab which are the provinces of
Pakistan. This issue is not necessarily of recent origin, and arose when the British
occupied parts of Sindh in the nineteenth century.
The issue came to notice in 1901, when the Indian Irrigation Commission prohibited
Punjab from taking even a drop of water from Indus without the approval of Sindh.
In 1919, the then government of India issued the Cotton Committee report; where in,
it prohibited Punjab from undertaking any projects until Sukkur barrage was completed
and water needs of Sindh were determined.
In 1925, Lord Reading, the British Viceroy of India, rejected Punjab’s request for Thal
canal from Indus.
In 1937; however, the Anderson Commission allowed Punjab to withdraw 775 cusecs
of water on experimental basis from Indus for Thal canal. This happened even with the
absence of Thal canal, and clearly constituted a direct violation of the viceroy’s orders
of 1925.
In 1939, Sindh lodged a formal complaint to the government against Punjab, under the
Government of India Act of 1935.
Consequently, in1941, the Roy Commission recognized that injustice was being done
in Sindh and recommended construction of two new barrages in Sindh on Indus, and
ordered Punjab to pay 20 million Rupees of the construction cost of these barrages to
make up for Sindh’s losses, done by Punjab.
Under the guidance of the Roy Commission, a committee comprising of the chief
engineers of Punjab and Sindh came out with an agreement in 1945, known as “Sindh-
Punjab Agreement.” It resolved the distribution of the waters of all Indus basin rivers
between Punjab and Sindh. This agreement recognized Sindh’s supremacy over the
Indus River, and let the other provinces know that no action, involving River Indus,
could be taken without Sindh’s consent.

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Origin of the Water Issue:
In 1947 Lord Mountbatten, the Viceroy of the Subcontinent, realized the dire need of
a separate homeland for Muslims and Hindus, declared that power would be
transferred from the British to the Indians by June of the same year. The increasing
tensions even after partition did not end just there. Neither have they ended after the
three wars, the neighboring nations, Pakistan and India, have fought within a time
frame of 30 years after their independence.

At the time of partition, the distribution of assets was not done equally, which created
huge problems for Pakistan. What was left unnoticed at that time was that India had
full control over that one resource without which human life would cease to exist-
water.

Water that reaches the two nations comes from the Himalayan glaciers which pass
through the part of the Kashmir, controlled by India. Pakistan’s government was
seriously concerned about this matter. In order to solve this problem, the Inter-
Dominion Accord of 1948 was signed between the two countries. According to this
accord, India would release water into Pakistan for which it would receive regular
payments.

The people of Pakistan were unhappy about it, and their concerns proved valid when
in 1948 Pakistan’s water supplies were cut off by India. This led the leaders of the
nation to take this matter to the International Court of Justice but India was always
hesitant towards solving this issue.

It was on September 19, 1960 that a deal was signed between the then Indian Prime
Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Ayub Khan, the President of Pakistan. It was termed as
the Indus Water Treaty according to which, control of water from the western rivers
of Indus, Jhelum and Chenab was handed over to Pakistan and India would have
complete access to the waters from Sutlej, Beas and Ravi, the eastern waterways.

Conflict after Indus Water Treaty:

The point of conflict that the two neighbors now face is again mainly concerned with
the water supply. India has proposed construction of four dams on River Chenab to
which the Pakistani side has a clash of interest and that is legitimate. According to the
treaty, if both the countries were to build dams, consensus of both the nations would
be involved. India repeatedly has gone against the rules of this Treaty, and has been
head on with its strategy of building dams on the rivers which are to provide water to
Pakistan.
Recently, there are four hydroelectric power projects including the Rattle, PakalDul,
Miyar and Lower Kalnai in India, that are being carried out without the consensus of
Pakistan.

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Causes of water crises in Pakistan?
According to the UNO Report, Pakistan is at the 7th position in the list of countries,
which are facing water crisis. Presently, Pakistan has a surface water of 153 MAF and
underground water resources of only 24 MAF and Pakistan may face water shortage
during the year, 2025. The causes of water crisis in Pakistan are as follows:

1. Fewer downpours
The Water Cycle maintain the flow of water in an environment. The hydrological
cycle depends upon evaporation but due to high contamination of water bodies
including, oceans, rivers, and seas the process is affected badly. The contribution of
rainfall to crops is 5% to 10%. Cutting of large areas of jungle according to UN report
in Pakistan from 7000 to 9000 hectares jungle is removed yearly and now it is only
5% instead of 25 % of total land.

2. Reduction in storage Capacity

Live storage in the available reservoirs is decreasing due to the process of silting. The
existing storage reservoirs available at Tarbela, Mangla and Chashma are losing
storage capacities at a rapid rate. The storage capacities of these reservoirs will
continue to decrease in the future years, causing corresponding reduction in the
available water resulting in serious shortage of water during the lean flow periods of
October-June each year.

3. Changing Crops Pattern

Rice and Sugar-cane crops consume large quantity of water as compared to cotton and
other Kharif crops. Cheap prices of rice and cotton seeds and building of sugar mills
without proper management encouraged farmers to grow these thus increasing the
demand of water.

4. Urbanization/Industrialization
Growing urban-industrial use of water is also another important factor. The Khanpur
Dam constructed for urban water supply to twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi is
becoming inadequate even before its supply could be started, population has increased
exponentially.

5. Population Explosion:
The global population in 2006 was 6.7 billion, which is increasing at a rate of 78
million/year that has reached 7.13 billion now. It has been predicted that the
population will reach up to 10.9billion by the year 2050. Among all this total
population, 90% growth rate occurs in developing countries like Pakistan. Increase in
population will put an enormous pressure on water use. Pakistan is 6th most populous
nation in the world with 19.6million population growing at a rate of 1.52% by the
year 2014. This clearly shows that if the population keeps on increasing at the same
rate, we would eventually run out of water to fulfill everyone’s needs.

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Impact of shortage of water:
1. Impact on Economy / Society
Agriculture is the backbone of our country. If there is shortage of water then
the country should be prepared for facing problems economically as well as
socially. According to the estimates of federal government, the agriculture
sector would suffer a loss of about Rs. 90 billion because of drought. Since
agriculture has always been a major source of supporting the crippled
economy, it has a vital role to play particularly in terms of food security and
employment majority of the population. The adverse effects of water shortage
on agriculture would have a negative effect on the economy of Pakistan.

2. Food Security
Less water means less agricultural yields and to fulfill the food requirements
of the nation we will be dependent to other countries. Import of food
commodities from other countries will result in more expenditure.

3. Livestock Problems
Raising livestock is the main source of livelihood of rural areas. It is also an
important economic activity, which contributes 9.7% of GDP, will be affected
due to shortage of water.

4. Decrease in Exports:
Pakistan bring home a healthy amount of foreign exchange, owing to its
agricultural products, which can be affected due to water shortage. The major
crops of Pakistan include wheat, rice, maize, millets, sugar cane, pulses,
cotton, and oil seeds. Pakistan grows long grain Basmati rice, in the plains of
north Punjab. Some of the best varieties of fruits are grown in Pakistan that
include mangoes, apples, oranges, peaches, plums etc But the water shortage
in the present situation can put enormous reduction in the mentioned
productions and put impact on economy of the country.

5. Health
In many developing countries people are forced to drink unhygienic water
from the flowing streams, which are usually contaminated with toxic
chemicals. This gives birth to many water borne diseases, as a result of which
many people die. Lack of quality water results in sanitation issues. Clinics,
educational institutes, and many other places used by the public are left with
very little water for cleaning purposes.

6. Effect on national harmony

Distribution of water is controlled from center by IRSA (Indus river system
authority) as per 1991 agreement between provinces. Now shortage of water
will cause disputes between provinces whish cause harm to national integrity.

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 7. Water constraints for population
Due to drought and more dependency on ground water for irrigation, the water
table will go down and this will cause water constraints for population.

Construction of water reservoirs by governments of the past:

According to the International Commission on Large Dams, total dams and reservoirs
in Pakistan over the height of 15 m (49 ft) are 150. Tarbela Dam is the largest earth
filled dam in the world and is second largest by the structural volume. Mirani Dam is
the largest dam in the world in terms of volume for flood protection with a flood stock
of 588,690 cubic hectometer while Sabakzai Dam is 7th largest with a flood stock of
23,638 cubic hectometer. Some dams in Pakistan and their year of completion are
stated below:

 Warsak Dam, 1960

 Hub Dam, 1981

 Mirani Dam, 2006

 Sabakzai Dam, 2007

 Allai Khwar Dam, 2013

 Duber Khwar Dam, 2013

 Gomal Zam Dam, 2015

Operation Large dams

According to ICOLD, dams with height above the foundation greater than 15 meters
(49 ft) are known as large dams. Mangla and Tarbela Dam are the two operational
large dams in Pakistan. Further information about the dams is given below:

Mangla Dam:

The Mangla dam project was conceived as a multipurpose project in the 1950s, and its
initial investment and feasibility studies were concluded in 1958. It was the first dam
to be built as a part of the Indus Basin Project as per the Indus water treaty signed
between India and Pakistan in 1960.

The construction of Mangla dam was started in March 1963, and took a little more
than 4 years to complete in June, 1967. It cost $ 434.505 million and was funded by
the World Bank and Asian Development Bank. The dam was constructed without the
consent of local people under the first military dictator of Pakistan, Gen. Ayub Khan,

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on the disputed territory of Jammu Kashmir. There were large-scale protests even
then, but they were crushed as per the military orders. Local people claim that even
today, after a lapse of 40 years, some 10 thousand families out of those who were
displaced for the building of the dam have still not been compensated.

The main dam was 10,300 feet long and 380 feet high above the riverbed with a
reservoir of 97.7 square miles. In 1974, its generation capacity was increased by
commissioning two more units each of 100 MW. In 1981, the power generation
capacity was further enhanced by installing the identical units of equal strengths.

In 2001, General Musharraf announced that the height of the Mangla dam will be
raised to increase its live storage capacity and maximize the hydropower potential of
river Jhelum. In 2003, the Mangla Dam Raising Project (MDRP) was signed to raise
the height of the Mangla reservoir from 1,202 feet to 1,252 feet, giving it an increased
capacity of 3.1 million acre feet (MAF) of water.

The dam was constructed without the consent of local people under the first military
dictator of Pakistan, Gen. Ayub Khan, on the disputed territory of Jammu Kashmir.
There were large-scale protests even then, but they were crushed as per the military
orders. Local people claim that even today, after a lapse of 40 years, some 10
thousand families out of those who were displaced for the building of the dam have
still not been compensated.

The advantages of the Mangla dam, which includes cheap electricity, irrigation
facilities and prevention from flooding is enjoyed by the rest of Pakistan, whereas the
people who live in the immediate upstream of the dam, bear the environmental costs,
which include disappearance of the fertile agriculture land, submergence of two of the
district´s market towns- Mirpur and Chaomukh, and hindrance in transport and
communication. Despite these frequent protests, rightful compensations have not been
provided.

In November 2012, the United States of America announced a grant of $150 million
dollars for the expansion of the Mangla Dam power plant. In March 2014, United
States through USAID signed another $72 million project for refurbishing and
upgrading the dam.

Tarbela Dam:

Originally constructed in 1974, under the government of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the
Tarbela Dam is the world’s largest earth- and rock-filled structure. Its existing
hydropower facilities supply about 16% of the electricity generated in Pakistan. The
primary purpose of the Tarbela Dam Project was to regulate the flows of the Indus
River for irrigation use.

Currently, there are several expansion plans in store for the Tarbela plant. The World
Bank is financing the Tarbela Fourth Extension Project to increase the dam stability to
produce more electricity. The financial institution argues the fact that the country’s

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need for energy is increasing and that widespread blackouts might lead to major
problems. USAID and US government are also using the same argument for
co-financing the Tarbela project
Affected communities in the Indus delta have been actively protesting the devastating
impacts of the existing water development projects; the Tarbela dam caused itself the
displacement of at least 100,000 people; many of them have not been properly
compensated nor resettled.

Kalabagh Dam :

The proposed construction of the Kalabagh Dam triggered an extremely bitter

controversy among the four provinces of Pakistan, namely Punjab, Sindh, North-West
Frontier Province, and Balochistan. The only province which is in favor of this dam is
Punjab which is the strongest among all four provinces, because usually the
government is centralized in it. The other three provinces have expressed extreme
dissatisfaction, going so far as to have their provincial assemblies pass unanimous
resolutions condemning the proposed dam. Hence, the project is still under
consideration.
The delay is also being caused by the fact that according to international water
distribution law, the tail ender has a legal and natural right on river and that is why no
mega construction or reservoir can be built without permission and endorsement of
the tail ender i.e. Sindh.
Impact assessments of the proposed dam have shown that while it will provide storage
and electricity, the dam will also have adverse impacts on the environment, as can be
expected from any large dam. It will also displace a large number of people. While
proponents point to the benefits, the adverse factors have been played up by the
opponents of the dam. As a result, the dam has been stalled by claims and
counterclaims since 1984.

Sindh’s viewpoint:
Sindh is the only province to strongly oppose KBD. Sindh supports its argument by
stating that by virtue of its name and history of water rights of the province, Indus
River belongs exclusively to Sindh. Therefore, claiming the construction of dams,
Tarbela and Mangla and now KBD actions of theft of water at the irrigation cost of
Sindh.
Sindh objects that their share of the Indus water will be curtailed as water from the
Kalabagh will go to irrigate farmlands in Punjab and NWFP, at their cost.

KPK’s viewpoint:
While the reservoir will be in KPK, the main electricity generating turbines will be in
Punjab. Therefore, Punjab would keep getting all the benefits. Even though Punjab
has not agreed to accept any royalties, KPK is afraid that it will face adverse
consequences, i.e. relocation of the people, being the most important one, about which
the government has not done much, in the past. KPK is also concerned, that most part
of the Nowshehra district would be submerged, thus affecting the lives of the people.

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Baluchistan’s viewpoint:
Baluchistan has always been neglected by the governments of the past, who have
failed to uncap its natural resources. The Province fears that if the Kalabagh dam
project is put into action, Punjab would get all the luxuries, and dominate over the
entire country.

Water usage by different sectors:

(a) Agriculture

Out of 240.22 maf (million acre feet), 172.21 maf water is utilized for irrigation
purposes. In this the canal diversions is 105.23 maf; rainwater is 6.0 maf; ground
water is 41.30 and utility above rims is 5.28 maf.

(b) Domestic

Most of the rural and urban water is supplied from ground water through tube wells
and hand pumps except few cities like Karachi and Islamabad. Total urban and rural
estimated requirements is 10-15% of the surface water, out of which 80% return to the
system, however with degraded quality. Net consumption is normally about 2% of the
total water available.

(c) Industry

Water is also utilized in industries basically for cooling purposes and also in
manufacturing processes. This utility is almost 1%. Recent increase in generating
electricity through solar power has reduced the water usage for hydro power
generation. Most of the annual storage is utilized for irrigation and not for hydro
power.

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Water availability and population:

Both population and water availability is inversely proportion to each other. In the
past few years’ population has doubled whereas the water availability has decreased
drastically due to misuse, and lack of storing capacity and other important factors.

Water availability in reservoirs:

It has been revealed by the Indus River System Authority (IRSA), that the water level
in Pakistan in has touched an all-time low and has reached the dead level by
10th March 2017. IRSA has already issued a warning about the low water level in
Pakistan’s main reservoirs.
The following paragraphs give us information about the present water storage
capacities in major dams and reservoirs of Pakistan

1. Tarbela dam reservoir

World’s largest earth and rock filled dam was built at Terbela on river Indus in 1976
with a gross capacity of 11.62 maf( million acre feet ). With the passage of time, due
to silting, 24.6% of the storage has been lost and now it has a storage capacity of
7.295 maf. Currently the live storage of the dam stands at zero. The water inflows at
Tarbela have tumbled to 1, 15,000 cusecs per day whereas the outflows stand at 1,
23,700 cusecs.

2. Mangla dam reservoir

Mangla reservoir is the second major storage of Pakistan. Due to siltation it has lost

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13.2% of its storage and presently can store 4.636 maf of water. After the Mangla
powerhouse’s zero water indents due to water scarcity, Indus River System Authority
(IRSA) closed the water supply from Mangla Dam. Only 3.4 MAF water is available
in the reservoir of Mangla.
Provinces are receiving the following amounts of water:

 Sindh 4,000 MAF

 Balochistan5,000 MAF
 Punjab7,000 MAF
 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 3,000 MAF, as per demand.

Misuse of water resources in Pakistan:

It has been already said in the past that the next wars will be on water. Pakistan is
already a water-stressed country, with around 1,038 cubic meters per capita water
availability, a drop from 5,000 cubic meters in 1951.The per capita storage capacity in
the United States stands at 6,150 cubic meters, in Australia 5,000 cubic meters, but in
Pakistan it is just 132 cubic meters.

About 20.3 million acres of land remains unutilized and needs to be irrigated, which
can only be done if Pakistan has the capacity to build more reservoirs thus regulating
the flow of water. It may come as a shock, however, that many Pakistanis are using at
least 10 times more water than the world’s average. The citizens of Pakistan,
connected through the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA), receive around 100
million gallons every day, but they receive it almost free. Through WASA, the water
reaches around 100,000 households, or around 900,000 people. This makes an
average use of 100 gallons per person per day. The world’s average is 10 gallons per
day.
Owing to the absence of appropriate water user charges, citizens use too much water,
the water supply organization (WASA) remains poorly mismanaged, and ultimately
there are no funds for maintenance of infrastructure.

Steps taken by the government to ensure water conservation:

National Climate-Change Policy, 2012:

National Climate-Change Policy was signed by the Government of Pakistan in

September 2012. The goal of this policy is to steer Pakistan towards climate resilient
development. The main policy objectives are as follows:

Policy Objectives:
1. To ensure water security at every level.
2. To minimize the risks arising from the expected increase in frequency and intensity
of extreme weather events such as floods, droughts and tropical storms.
3. To grow as many trees as one can to increase downpour.

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Kachhi Canal Project

On September 14, 2017 Prime Minister,ShahidKhaqaanAbbasi inaugurated the 1st

phase of 363 km long Kachhi Canal Project in the Sui area of DeraBugti. It starts
from Taunsa Barrage at Indus River and stretches to Sui, Baluchistan. The discharge
capacity of the main canal is “6000 cusecs”. The Kachhi Canal Project was started in
Oct 2002 by Water & Power Development Authority (WAPDA), and was built at a
cost of Rs. 80 billion. The project took 15 years because it had been left uncompleted
due to economic reasons. But eventually, with the Federal Government’s support and
excellent work by WAPDA engineers, the project was put into action andcompleted
it’s first phase in August 2017.

The project is expected to irrigate around “72,000 acres” of barren land in the Sui
tehsil area of Baluchistan and more than one million people will benefit from this
canal. The project is scheduled for three phases.

 Phase-I - in district DeraBugti (will irrigate 72,000 acres)

 Phase-II - in district Bolan &Naseerabad (will irrigate 216,000 acres)
 Phase-III - in district Bolan, Naseerabad and JhalMagsi (will irrigate 344,000 acres)

Agriculture which will take place through this canal will cater to the demand in
Baluchistan and some areas in South Punjab as well. These areas have very low
development but due to abundant water resources through Kacchi Canal agriculture
and cattle farming will be made more convenient. People of these areas could
generate large amount of income through these water resources. Moreover, other two
phases of this project are currently under construction.

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National Water Policy, 2018

In the 37th meeting of the CCI, held on 24th April, 2018 former Prime Minister
ShahidKhaqanAbbasi approved the First National Water Policy along with a National
Water charter that was signed by the chief ministers of the four provinces. This has
been of extreme importance because the implementation of this policy kept being
delayed for many years, and now it was finally being put into action with the mutual
consensus of all the four provinces. In order to enforce this policy, a national level
institute “National Water Council” has been established, lead by Prime Minister of
Pakistan along with all Chief Ministers, Federal Minister of water resources, Finance
Minister, Power Minister and Minister of Planning and Development. According to
this Policy, 2 meetings of this council will be mandatory to call in a year.
There are 32 articles of NWP, they are stated as follows:

1. Promoting sustainable consumption and production patterns throughout the water

sector from exploitation to utilization

2. Augmentation of the available water resources of the country through judicious

and equitable utilization via reservoirs, conservation and efficient use

3. Improving availability and reliability of fresh water resources to meet

environmental needs.

4. Improving urban water management by increasing system efficiency and

reducing non revenue water through adequate investments to address drinking water
demand, sewage disposal, handling of waste water and industrial effluents.

5. Promoting behavioral change to reduce wastage of water by raising public

awareness through media campaigns and incorporating water conservation lessons in
syllabi/curricula at primary and secondary levels of education.

6. Hydro power development to increase the share of renewable energy.

7. Providing food security and expanding water availability to help adapt to climate
change, population and other large-scale stresses.

8. Treatment and possible reuse of waste water - domestic, agricultural and

industrial.

9. Upgrading water sector information systems for improved asset management and
to derive evidence and data driven decision making.

10. Improving watershed management through extensive soil conservation,

catchment area treatment, and preservation of forests and increasing forest cover.

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11. Restoring and maintaining the health of the environment and water related eco
systems.

12. Flood management to mitigate floods and minimize their damages.

13. Drought management with emphasis on long term vulnerability reduction.

14. Security of benefit streams of the water related infrastructure for sustained
provision of services.

15. Promoting appropriate technologies for rain water harvesting in rural as well as
urban areas.
16. Regulating groundwater withdrawals for curbing over-abstraction and
promoting aquifer recharge.

17. Adequate water pricing (Abiana) for irrigation and proper operation and
maintenance of the irrigation system as well as other user sectors.

18. Promoting measures for long term sustainability of the Irrigation System.

19. Encouraging beneficiary participation and public private partnerships.

20. Strengthening and Capacity building of water sector institutions.

21. Exploitation of vast potential of water generated through hill torrents.

22. Protection of wet lands and Ramsar Sites for the prevention of wild life, flora
and fauna.

23. Stoppage of further sea water intrusion into Sindh (upstream from coastline) for
the sustainability of coastal environment, flora and fauna and mangrove growth
including the use of skimming dug- wells in coastal areas.

24. Establishment of Hydro-meteorological disaster risk reduction complied

integrated water resources management regime.

25. Enhancing water productivity through infrastructure development and adoption

of improved technologies in a sustainable manner.

26. Climate change impact assessment and adaptation for sustainable water
resources development and management.

27. Promoting research on water resources related issues of national importance and
building capacity/delineating roles and responsibilities of Federal research institutions
and promoting coordination among them.

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28. Setting major national targets for the water sector including those for water
conservation, water storage, Irrigation, water treatment and drinking water. These
targets can be firmed up in consultation with the Provincial Governments and
reviewed periodically for inclusion in the 12th and 13th Five Year Plans and future
plans.

29. Secure Katcha areas and economy thereof;

30. Preserve delta area by providing sufficient supplies regularly..

31. Effective implementation of the 1991 Water Apportionment Accord in letter and
spirit.
32. Rainwater management in plains where it cannot be disposed of or diverted to
the river.

Clean and Green Pakistan, 2018:

On 2nd September 2018, PM Imran inaugurated the 10 Billion trees project and
watered the 1st plant of 10 billion in Haripur KPK under the Banner of Clean and
Green Pakistan campaign. According to this project, Government has plans to plant
10 billion trees all over Pakistan during next five years. Along with plantation, this
campaign covers cleaning motivation to keep Pakistan clean. For this purpose, a
sufficient amount from the budget will be preserved.

Re-charge Pakistan, 2018:

On 13th September 2018 Government of Pakistan also approved a project named
“Re-Charge Pakistan” for better management and utilization of flood waters to restore
and re-charge the groundwater.

DiamerBhasha Dam, 2018:

In this vulnerable situation of water scarcity, on 6th July 2018 Chief Justice of
Pakistan,SaqibNisar, took the initiative to help government to build DiamerBhasha
Dam and Mohmand Dam.He opened a bank account named as “Chief Justice Dam
Fund”, so that the public can donate as much as they can for this noble cause.He
himself donated 1 million Pakistani rupees for the construction of the two dams.

On 7th September, Prime Minister Imran Khan announceda joint account of CJP and
PM fund for construction of dams and encouraged overseas Pakistanis to donate for
this cause. Due to all these efforts, and owing to the generosity of the Pakistani
people, the funds have mounted up to USD 52 million (i.e. PKR 6.9 billion)
approximately by end of third quarter of 2018.

On 9th September 2018 a WAPDA Official revealed that at least 12 billion dollars are
required to build DiamerBhasha Dam. 5 billion dollars are required to build
infrastructure while another 7 billion dollars are required for the power generation.

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DiamerBhasha Dam will have long term benefits, as a water reservoir with
availability of about 6,400,000 acre feet, which can be used in irrigation during low
flow periods.

Others:

1. Under Punjab Saaf Pani Project, filtrations plants have been installed all over the
Punjab during the regime of CM Punjab Shahbaz Sharif (2008-2018).

2. Sindh Water Sector Improvement Phase-I Project (WSIP) is under implementation

with financial assistance from the World Bank. The objective of the project is to
enhance long-term sustainability of irrigation system through participatory irrigation
management; modernization of irrigation & drainage of system in a systematic way
and to deal with floods & drainage issues of Province, that would lead to increase
agricultural production, employment &incomes over 1.8 million ha or more than 30%
of irrigated area in Sindh.

3. About 250 mini and micro hydropower projects (MHPs) have become fully
operational and functional to save water and to be used be by people of hilly areas of
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa through community-based local institutional mechanisms.

4. The development objective of the Balochistan Integrated Water Resources

Management (IWRM) and Development Project for Pakistan is to strengthen
provincial government capacity for water resources monitoring and management and
to improve community-based water management for targeted irrigation schemes in
Balochistan.

5. Different non-government organizations are also working in Pakistan in order to get

this region out of water scarcity such as UNICEF, WWF, Pakistan Water Partnership
and Pani Pakistan etc.

6. Public Awareness About water is also being done on different social media forums.
Special Advertisements in this regard are also being putting on air on different
electronic media channels.

7. It will not be wrong to say that India blocks the water flow in Pakistan due to
which Pakistan faces a great loss in terms of agriculture and economy. In the recent
Past, Government of Pakistan tried to restart the negotiations with India but they
ended in vain. Having good relations with India is very beneficial for us in terms of
water and agriculture as our major sector of agriculture depends upon the water come
from the River Indus and its tributaries.

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How can we conserve water, and use it efficiently and effectively?

1. Raising water rates to bring at par with the operation and maintenance cost:
Abiana rates should be raised to bring them at par with the cost required to operate
and maintain the water supply system. At the same time, regulatory policies are
needed to ensure sustainability of underground water resources.

2. Developing supply infrastructure through metering

 Urgent lining, repair and maintenance of canals should be done to minimize
the water losses.
 There is a need to charge volumetric pricing that is to charge each crop and
area as per the unit of water consumed. This would be possible through
separating the charge of water from the land area and connecting it to the
quantity of water consumed.
 Within the domestic and industrial sectors, proper provision of water is also
crucial to regulate the quantity consumed and charge rates accordingly. This
would also regulate the use of water and reduce issues of equity between
households.

3. Revamping the system of water rights (Warabandi):

A system of water rights should be introduced which allows for trading of water
rights, as a result head end farmers could sell their right to tail end farmers and
increase productivity and efficiency.

4. Proper waste management and regulation:

Focus on proper disposal of household, industrial and agriculture waste is crucial
to ensure adequate quality of water. Penalties and fines should be imposed for
non-compliance.

5. Disseminate awareness regarding the rising stress on water resources:

Since water is a sensitive issue in the country, there is a need to focus on raising
awareness about the importance of conservation.

Water Conservation Strategy:

The Medium-Term Development Framework, a policy measure programme of the
Government of Pakistan drafted by the Ministry of Finance, Economic Coordination
Committee and the Planning Commission of Pakistan, formulated to strengthen the
national economy and civil infrastructure, proposes a water conservation strategy with
the aim to improve the performance and utilization of water supply. It aims to achieve
the following:

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 1) adoption of integrated approach, rational resource use, and the introduction
of water efficient techniques
2) institutional strengthening, capacity building and human resource
development (HRD)
3) improving performance and utilization of local systems through better
planning, management and community participation
4) improving quality of life and easy access to water supply, especially for
women
5) improving sanitation through sewerage and drainage schemes
6) Promoting increased take up of household sanitation improving the
understanding of the linkages between hygiene and health through community
education campaigns, especially among the women and children.

Apart from MTDF, other recommendations for water management and

conservation include:

 Crash program for cleaning of water channels including canals, water courses
and distributaries
 Regulating ground water by issuance of licenses to check overdraft of aquifer.
 Better water management for increasing cropping intensity with riverine area.
 Technical land demolishing, surge irrigation, high irrigation efficiency
technology including drip and sprinkler.
 Strengthening of institutional capacity building by improving financial
sustainability.
 Better and more efficient use of funds.
 To exploit the uncultivated lands for irrigation purpose,
 Storage of flood water during Monsoon season by construction of a series of
small dams/reservoirs on the barren lands and Barani areas of Northern
Punjab, NWFP and Balochistan.
 Launching of incentive based upon public campaign emphasizing conservation
of water at all levels.

Pakistan is running dry

Pakistan could run dry by 2025 as its water shortage has reached an alarming level.
The governments of the past have remained negligent towards this issue that can
cause a serious threat to the stability of the country. According to a recent report by
International Monetary Fund (IMF),Pakistan ranks third in the world among countries
facing acute water shortage. UNDP (United Nations Development Program) works in
about 170 countries helps countries to develop policies, in order to ensure their

17
stability and the well being of its citizens. Reports by UNDPand the Pakistan Council
of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) also warn the authorities that Pakistan will
reach absolute water scarcity by 2025.

It is not the first time that development and research organizations have warned our
country about a problem that is even more dangerous than terrorism, because this
problem puts the lives of the individuals at stake.

In 2016, (PCRWR) Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources.reported that

Pakistan touched the "water stress line" in 1990 and crossed the "water scarcity line" in
2005. If this situation persists, Pakistan is likely to face an acute water shortage or a
drought-like situation in the near future. Government should make sure that the water
policy it has made should be implemented effectively and efficiently. Proper
management system on, how to reuse or recycle the water should be put into action. Not
only government but it is the responsibility of every Pakistani to consume less water,
and save as much water as they can.

Conclusion
The importance of water cannot be ignored. With the rapid growth of population and
increased use of water, its supply is not meeting its demand over the time. Water use
practices in the country are not in accordance with water conservation and quality
requirements. Most of the water is polluted and unhygienic for drinking purpose both
for human and animals. There is a need to analyze the existing water resources and
recommending comprehensive conservation and management strategy in view of
catering the planning requirements for the future. In order to overcome the burning
issue confronted with water requirements for agriculture and energy there is a
pressing need to construct some new mega dams which could serve the larger interest
of the people of Pakistan and their coming generations for accruing the mutual
benefits on the basis of equity and justice. Every year due to floods a lot of water
flows down towards sea and its inundation causes huge and irreparable losses to
human lives, property and assets of public and private sectors. For overcoming such
disasters, we need to construct small and flood dams at different sites. Moreover, there
is a need to switch the irrigation from traditional system to the directions of “Blue
Revolution” which could meet the challenge of water shortages and water losses to a
greater extent. The proper lining of the canal system could also reduce water losses
and in this way water could be economized and used for alternative purposes.

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http://www.cssforum.com.pk/css-compulsory-subjects/pakistan-affairs/13283-res
ervoirs-dams-pakistan.html

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https://www.thenewsteller.com/other/top-10-biggest-dams-in-pakistan-here-is-the
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