Water for all: ‘More focus needed on the problem of water shortage’

'Comprehensive strategy was needed to tackle the problem of water scarcity': Speakers

FAISALABAD:

Pakistan is wasting 40 million acre-feet (MAF) of water annually on account of lack of reservoirs, experts said on Thursday.  

They were speaking at a seminar on Environmental Awareness organised by the Government College University Faisalabad (GCUF) Department of Environmental Sciences in collaboration with the Punjab Youth Council and Lok Sanjh Foundation.

They said a comprehensive strategy was needed to tackle the problem of water scarcity.

Acting Vice Chancellor Naureen Qureshi said Pakistan was facing a serious problem of water scarcity with only 1,000 cubic metres of water available per person. She said Pakistan was in the “red zone” in terms of per capita water availability.

Administration Director Muhammad Mushtaq stressed population control.

He said, “We have to take tangible steps to combat this challenge. At the time of independence, the per capita water availability in this region was over 5,000 cubic metres of water. Today, it is only 1,000 cubic metres.”

Published in The Express Tribune, July 5^th, 2013.