Food crisis feared as groundwater depletes

Amidst multiple economic challenges, the nation is also facing the enormous challenge of depleting surface and groundwater resource with per capita water availability level touching the stress levels.

Most challenging is the depleting groundwater level posing threat to soil's fertility, agriculture, food security and the ecological system as its depletion increases salt concentration in soil, leading to adverse effects on agriculture and human health.

With the demand for water increasing by the day, there is a dire need for sagacious use of water as mounting pressure on our available resources would make the situation more crucial during the days ahead.

"In our country, the agriculture sector is pumping average 60% water for irrigation, depending on demand of various crops," said Professor Dr. Tanveer Ahmed, head of the Department of Soil and Environmental Sciences at the Muhammad Nawaz Sharif University of Agriculture in Multan.

"Depleting groundwater is likely to create food insecurity in the coming years by affecting the soil's fertility. Concentration of salt is increasing due to continuous process of downing of the water-table," Dr. Ahmed warned.

Salty soil affects production up to 70% and since there is already 45% salinity in some irrigation areas of the country, controlling this phenomenon had become imperative to avert its harmful effects, Dr. Ahmed said.

"If we fail to cope with this challenge, the depleting phenomenon would continue to add to salinity level, also making drinkable water injurious to human health."

About the groundwater table, he said that it varied at scattered places, ranging from 50 to 80 feet in different areas of South Punjab. Similarly, the depleting ground water was also damaging the ecological system that might result in vanishing of natural grass in the coming years.

"With downing water table, it would become harder for the plant roots to get sufficient ground water naturally, and this phenomenon will lead to bad effects on the ecosystem."

He pointed out different causes of groundwater depletion, like massive water seepage through muddy banks of canals and other water courses and water wastage in our daily use like vehicles washing, lack of drip irrigation, careless industrial usage of water and absence of a holistic rainwater harvesting mechanism in the country.

Similarly, he also drew attention towards insufficient water storages and reservoirs, saying that rainwater harvesting could be a valuable panacea to water scarcity issues.

"If big dams cost much, we can avail the alterative of small dams and ponds, especially in the newly-built housing societies and settlements.

According to a boring plumber, Muhammad Ayub, the water table went down about 15 feet during the last decade.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 11^th, 2023.