Reports 2019 by the United Nations Development program (UNDP) and the Pakistan council of research in water Resources (PCRWR) like wise caution the expert that the south Asian nation will face acute water shortage by 2025. According to the world. Bank and Asian Development Bank (ADB), Pakistan is one of the most "water stressed" countries in the world; it is likely to face an acute water shortage over the next five years due to lack of water availability for irrigation industry and human consumption. A WB report states that water supply in Pakistan has fallen from 5000 cubic meter per capita to 1,000 cubic meter in 2010, and is likely to further reduce to 800 cubic meters per capita by 2020. Unfortunately, due to lack of proper measures for securing and preserving natural resources, out county is suffering from water scarcity. Described by Unite Nation, approaches to 1.8 billion people will live in the region of "absolute" water scarcity by the end of 2025. moreover, according t the World Economic Report the biggest threat to Pakistan is the water crisis, followed by unmanageable inflation, terrorist attacks, failure of urban planning and that caption infrastructure. Contributory factors consist of increase in population, climate change, lack of a solid vision to construct water reservoirs, and misplaced use of Jhelum and Chenab rivers by India under the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) 1960.
India got the right to fully utilize water form three eastern rivers; Ravi, Bias and Sutlej, while Pakistan was to utilize water from the three western rivers; Indus, Chenab and Jhelum under the Indus Water Treaty (IWT). India was also allowed limited irrigation of 1.4 million acres (2.85 MAF) from eastern revers. water for Pakistan was not examined. Moreover, it is entailed in the treaty that India is not to exceed the specified limit for water utilization. If India continues with its current strategy of building dams on Chenab and Jhelum rivers, than there would be serious implication for Pakistan's agriculture and national security. It would aggravate the already the already strained relationship between the two countries, which is due to the unresolved Kashmir issue. A very strong perception exist in Pakistan that India in its quest to utilize water from Chenab and Jhelum rivers and is not fulfilling its obligation under the IWT. It wants to curb the flow of water to Pakistan. This strategy has a hidden political agenda create scarcity of irrigation water that would hurt Pakistan's economy and agriculture sector in between 10-15 years. This national interest of both the countries would be best served it India honored its commitments under the IWT. but, is India ready to address Pakistan's concerns or wants to safeguard its own interest by violating the IWT that could lead to worsening of relation between the two countries?
The water crisis at the national level exists due to the following reasons:
1; In the past, the public leadership did not succeed to develop a consensus on construction of huge water reservoirs, particularly the Kalabagh dam that could have addressed many of the power and water problems which are being faced today.
2; Provinces are in dispute over their respective share of water under the IWT, with particular reference to utilizing water for Kharif and Rabi seasons through link canals managed by the Indus River System Authority (IRSA). IRSA has stopped satisfying Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan provinces over distribution of irrigation water for current Rabi season because of 34.0 percent shortage of water, primarily due to construction of Baglihar dam on Chenab. Water supply would be further constriction because of planned of Basrur multipower project, Siwalkot dam, and Pakot Dul dam on Chenab river by India. Unless resolute it would continue to be a repeating problem.
3; the Singh Assembly has demanded scrapping of hydropower project on Chashma Jhelum link canal, a key project of Punjab government. There is a strong perception in Singh that project would constrict flow of water to the province and hurt its agriculture as well.
4; Punjab is accused of stealing 16000 cusecs of the water between Taunsa and Guddu, from 2nd to 4th Feb, 2010. The Punjab government clime that system losses are to blame for the water that has disappeared.
5; Because of an absence of perfect water management essentially at secondary canal level, water crisis, particularly at the lower parts of these canals, is very evident. Twice with flood irrigation, either irrigation by flooding basins or using oldest Punchoo system, water crisis keeps on increasing its intensity day by day. IRSA has no telemetry system and we cannot decided to distribute water by going beyond letter sense and include the spirit of the water apportionment accord of 1991, we do not see an end of this water crisis is Pakistan.
As far as the scarcity of water in Pakistan is concerned, apparently it has also to do with.
1. Climate changes
2. Negligence and mismanagement of water resources by successive government in Pakistan the global warming has led to melting of the Himalayan glaciers and consequent depletion in the flow of water into the Indus River system. The trend is likely to continue with rising temperature. It is not that only agriculture sector, the backbone of Pakistan economy, is suffering; due to depleting water supply, there is reduces power-generation from the hydroelectric plants, having a devastating impact on the country industries too. Pakistan has no control over the nature. However, it can improve the management of water resources.
Pakistan need to address the following problems on urgent basis:
1. The siting of dams and barrages is a continuous process. Due to heavy sediment carried by the rivers, Tarbela, and Chasma Dams have lost nearly 25% of there capacity.
2. An estimated 40% of water that run through canal is lost because of seepage. The reason is the canal beds banks are unlined, poorly lined or porous.
3. Traditional and antiquated agriculture technique lead to excessive loss of water.
4. while water intensive varieties of crops, like sugarcane and rice, and cultivate. Optimum crops rotation is imperative but is not done effectively.
On 2 June 2008 Pakistan National Economic Council met under the chairmanship of Prime minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and approved the development strategy based on the Medium Based Development Framework 2005-10. The water sector part of the overall strategy concentration on water augmentation, water conservation and affective use of water. It calls for development of additional medium and large-size reservoirs with priority.
The water storage to be completed, by 2016 include Akhori Dam, Basha-Diamer Dam, Kalabagh Dam and Munda Dam. Simultaneously the ongoing project such as raising the structures of Mangla Dam, Gomal Dam, Satpra Dam, Karram Tangi Dam and Sabakzai Dam are also to the top priority. The Medium Term Development Framework 2005-10 also envisage a number of other measure, including reclamation of land from water logging and salinity, improvement of water curses and ground water management etc. Last year 20 different UN bodies had warned; "water is linked to crisis of climate change, energy and food supplies and prices, and troubled financial markets. Unless their links with water are addressed and water crisis around the world are resolved,, these other crisis may intensify and local water crisis may worsen, converging into a global water crisis and leading to political insecurity and conflict at various levels."
In a recent report, the United Nations has estimated that Pakistan water supply has dropped from about 5000 cubic meters per person in the 1950s to about 1420 cubic meters. Any further drop would seriously economic growth and would be a heath hazard. Notwithstanding Indus Basin Treaty, the need for effective international co-operation among riparian countries is greater now then ever before. The demand for the water in all countries is escalating and increasing the harmful effects of activities in upstream countries are being observed. Over a third of the 200 international river basin cooperation institutional arrangements.
JAHANGIR'S World Time
