World Water Day: New dams crucial to meet water needs: experts

Say existing water resources already under serious stress

ISLAMABAD:

Experts at a seminar on Tuesday stressed the need for building new water reservoirs in the country and reducing wastage of water.

The participants said that no matter how much water is stored in existing or planned dams, reducing wastage of water particularly in the agriculture sector, which uses 96 per cent of water resources in the country, was crucial to achieve sustainability of water sector in the county and to meet water needs of growing population.

The seminar was organised by the Express Media Group to mark the World Water Day.

Minister of State for Water and Power Chaudhry Abid Sher Ali, who was the chief guest, said the government was aware of water issues facing the country. He said a number of dams had been planned to increase storage capacity of the country.

He said work on Akhori and Dimaer-Bhasha dams was under way and funding was being arranged for them.

“Pakistan is already a water-stressed country. The demand is rising with increase in population. Storing and conserving water is the biggest challenge facing us,” he said.

He said 100 thousand megawatts of power could be generated from hydro power in the county. He said sites of nearly 60,000 MW had already been identified in the country’s north and international donors were being approached to fund these mega hydropower projects.

Ministry of Water and Power Additional Secretary Omer Rasul said that a ten-year flood control plan had been prepared which would be presented to the Council of Common Interests (CCI) by end of this month.

Former WAPDA chairman Shamsul Mulk said if Kala Bagh Dam had been constructed in 1994, every unit of electricity generated would have been Rs16 cheaper and the country would have saved Rs195 billion every year. He said 90 per cent population of Khyber Pakhtunkhwas was in favour of Kala Bagh Dam.

“We have failed to provide flood protection to the people of Pakistan by not building large reservoirs,” he said and added that most of the decision makers live in Karachi, Islamabad, Peshawar, and Lahore. They were not worried because they did not suffer from it.

He said crop yields in Pakistan were lowest in the word because of unavailability of water when it is needed. “In Pakistan, about 84% of water is available in the summer months and only 16% in winter. If not stored, the summer water is wasted,” he said.

Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University Rawalpinid Vice-Chancellor Dr Rai Niaz Ahmad said rainwater harvesting holds a promising future in Pakistan, which can be used to meet domestic, agriculture and industrial needs. He also called increasing access of farmers to water conserving irrigation technology.

Ministry of Climate Change Deputy Secretary Saleem Khattak said Pakistan was facing mounting water crisis and existing water resources were under serious stress.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 23^rd, 2016.