ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Climate Change Zartaj Gul on Tuesday saidthe government has decided to constitute a Water Regulatory Authority toregulate ground water resources as the country was facing an acute shortageof potable water.
Responding to a motion moved by the Senator Mir Kabeer Ahmed Muhammad Shahito discuss the ecological/environmental change arising out of ClimateChange and their overall impact on the country, she said her ministry hasalready started work on the formation of regulatory authority incollaboration with the provinces.
She said in the absence of any regulatory mechanism, groundwater resourceswere being depleted and contaminated through boring tubewells.
“No one will be allowed to establish new tubewells and bores withoutapproval,” she said. Because of urbanisation and mushroom growth ofindustries, drilling out underground water continued unchecked thatresulted in the depletion of water.
She said that Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has initiated Clean andGreen Pakistan initiative as per vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan totackle the issue of pollution.
She said that Pakistan is seventh in the list of ten countries which havebeen badly affected by the climate change.
The remedy to mitigate the impact of climate change undoubtedly lies inplanting more and more trees, she added.
About six to ten degree centigrade temperature can be reduced in differentparts of the country by planting trees following the international conceptof urban forestry, she added.
She said the federal government had devised a mechanism for coordinationwith the provinces to curb deforestation and increase forestation in thecountry.
The minister said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has successfully completedtrees plantation drive in Khyber Paktunkhwan province.
She regretted chopping of trees in Lahore has increased the pollution inthe city.