Pakistan can only store 10% of annual river flows

Per capita water availability drops to just 908 cubic metres

LAHORE: The per capita water availability in Pakistan has dropped from 5,650 cubic metres in 1951 to an alarmingly low level of 908 cubic metres at present, pushing the country into the ranks of nations facing water scarcity.

This was stated by Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) Chairman Muzammil Hussain during a briefing to a delegation of the National Security Workshop of the National Defence University Islamabad, which visited the Wapda House on Friday.

"Pakistan can store only 10% of its annual river flows whereas the average water storage capacity around the world stands at 40%," the chairman lamented. "Instead of raising the storage capacity, we have lost more than one-fourth of the storage space of our dams."

The live water storage capacity, which was 16.26 million acre feet (MAF) in 1976, dropped to 13.68 MAF now, which was equal to a carryover capacity of merely 30 days, he said. On the other hand, India enjoys a carryover capacity of 170 days, Egypt 700 days and the US 900 days.

The Wapda chief underscored the need for a sustainable long-term plan to tackle the looming water crisis in the country.

"The mechanism in vogue for implementing development projects in Pakistan will take us nowhere," he emphasised. "A paradigm shift is required to improve the water situation and handle circular debt." The carryover water storage capacity should be increased from 30 days to 120 days.

Hussain told the delegation that Wapda planned to add 2 MAF to the water storage capacity in the short term by 2023, 18 MAF in the medium term by 2030 and another 23 MAF in the long run by 2050.

Wapda has already added 2,487 megawatts of hydel electricity to the national grid by completing Golen Gol, Neelum Jhelum and Tarbela 4th Extension hydroelectric power projects. It plans to add 4,582MW up to 2023 and another 16,180MW up to 2030.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 17^th, 2018.

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