Emergency-like situation: Water table depleting fast, warns expert

PCRWR is facing shortage of funds and manpower due to which 205 of 482 employees have yet to get salaries.


Our Correspondent November 10, 2014

ISLAMABAD:


The Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) is facing shortage of funds and manpower due to which 205 of 482 employees have yet to get salaries since July.


PCRWR Chaiperson Muhammad Azam shared this while briefing members of the Senate Standing Committee on Science and Technology in Parliament on Monday.

He said the depletion of water table is continuing in Pakistan for which the prime reason is deforestation and incessant installation of tube wells. “Around 90% of the accumulated water goes to irrigation so there is a need of training our farmers to minimise excess use of water,” he commented, quoting the example of water usage for rice.

Azam said in Balochistan, the water table is depleting three feet per annum and the same is in Islamabad while it is 1.5 feet in Lahore. He added that it was subsequently affecting the quality of water as well.

The chairperson further briefed members that annually five million litres of water should reach the sea but at present in three months, 10 million litres of water goes to the sea.

“The availability of water is not the issue, it is bad management,” he said, adding that quality of water in the sea is also getting polluted.

He also lamented that bottled water companies are also selling poor quality water.

Senator Taj Haider agreed with Azam’s viewpoint, stating that it is lack of coordination among organizations that is leading to the current mess.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 11th, 2014.

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