The Chairman of National Business Group Pakistan, the President of the Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals Forum, the President of All Karachi Industrial Alliance, the Chairman of the FPCCI Advisory Board, and the President and former provincial minister, Mian Zahid Hussain, said on Monday that Pakistan is an agricultural country. Still, no attention is paid to saving water. He said that despite water scarcity, its wastage is rising, which will have consequences.
Mian Zahid Hussain said that, at present, water scarcity in the country has increased to an alarming extent, which is also increasing the risk of drought.
Addressing the business community, the veteran business leader warned that a drought-like scenario in Punjab and Sindh could wreak havoc on the people and the economy, underlining the serious implications of the water crisis.
Therefore, policymakers must take immediate and decisive steps to mitigate the impending crisis.
The business leader said that due to the lack of rain, the water reserves in Tarbela and Mangla dams will reach the lowest level, which may badly affect the agriculture of Punjab and Sindh.
The farmers may also suffer heavy financial losses, and food prices will start skyrocketing. He said that while the economy is recovering, food shortages should not be allowed in the country as they will spread political unrest.
Mian Zahid Hussain said that the Indus Water System Authority had warned the irrigation departments of both provinces to take immediate steps to avoid a possible situation.
Punjab and Sindh are currently facing a thirty-five percent water shortage. Thirteen districts of Sindh, including Karachi, Hyderabad, Thatta, Khairpur, Benazirabad, Larkana, Tharparkar, and Nowshera Feroze, will likely face drought.
He explained that a lack of water can damage crops like wheat, barley, potatoes, onions, tomatoes, and livestock, while millions of farmers can go bankrupt. Apart from concerned authorities, he advised that farmers should also try to avoid the expected situation and losses.
Mian Zahid Hussain said that due to a lack of rain, the country’s major water reservoirs will reach dead levels before the end of March. The recent rains have provided temporary relief, but the threat of drought has not yet subsided, so emergency measures are necessary at the highest level.
According to the concerned authorities, the water level in the Tarbela Dam has dropped below the minimum limit, so effective measures need to be taken without wasting time at this critical juncture.
Mian Zahid Hussain said that with the completion of the Shahpur Kandi Barrage in the Indian province of Punjab, the flow of water from the Ravi River to Pakistan had been completely stopped, which is affecting our agriculture.
Shahpur Kandi Dam is located on the border of Punjab, Jammu, and Kashmir. India says that by stopping the excess water that used to flow towards Pakistan, Jammu and Kashmir will now benefit.
Mian Zahid Hussain further said that under the Indus Water Treaty, India has the right to the water of the Ravi River. Naturally, the remaining water of this river used to flow towards Pakistan, which was also used for irrigation, but now this has stopped.
