Groundwater depletion alarms Chakwal residents

CHAKWAL:

A severe water shortage has gripped the Kahoon region of Tehsil Choa Saidan Shah due to intense heat and prolonged dry weather, leaving residents desperate for even a drop of water. The situation is worsened by the unregulated extraction of groundwater by cement factories operating in the area.

Locals report that underground water levels have significantly dropped, pushing residents to wander from place to place in search of water for household use. The crisis has reached alarming levels, prompting citizens to urge the Punjab Chief Minister, Rawalpindi Commissioner, and local and district administrations to take immediate action.

According to a public survey, the main causes of the water shortage include the widespread cultivation of water-intensive potato crops and the excessive use of water by cement factories. The region relies heavily on rainfall for agriculture, but the installation of hundreds of tube wells for potato farming has further depleted underground reserves.

Residents have particularly blamed the cement factories, claiming that despite Supreme Court orders to seal tube wells within factory premises using concrete, there is suspicion that the factories have installed underground pipelines to secretly extract and store large quantities of groundwater. While factory ponds appear dry, water tanks inside remain full, raising concerns of foul play.

Meanwhile, household water boreholes are rapidly drying up, and Choa Saidan Shah's famed loquat orchards are withering due to lack of water.