Pakistan water security: The way forward
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ISLAMABAD: Minister for Water Resources Syed Javed Ali Shah Monday underlined the needfor building more water dams in the country to overcome water shortages.
While speaking at the floor of the National Assembly here in response to aCalling Attention Notice, he said there was water shortage of 36 percent (5.9MAF) as announced by the Technical Committee of Indus River System Authority(IRSA).
The notice was given by MNAs Nawab Muhammad Yusuf Talpur, Shazia Marri, SyedNaveed Qamar, Abdul Sattar Bachani, Shazi Marri and Azra Fazal Pechuho.
He said water security was the biggest issue of Pakistan, adding water was beingused for agriculture, generation of electricity and human consumption. Therewere less rains in the catchment areas last year which led to less dischargesfrom the rivers, he added.
The minister said more rains this year may help overcome the watershortages. He said hundreds of dams could be constructed in Balochistan and KhyberPakhtunkhwa with the availability of finances. Specifically, he said DiamerBhasha dam and Mohmand Dam could be built if funds were made available.
The minister said practical steps were needed to ensure water security.
He told that a project of desalination plant in Gwadar under the ChinaPakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was planned to overcome water shortages.
The minister told that Sindh was getting its due share of 35,000 cusecs andapprehensions about it by some members were misplaced.
With consensus of movers of the motion, Speaker National Assembly SardarAyaz Sadiq directed that Ministry of Water Resources should hold a meeting tobrief the parliamentarians about water situation in the country and itsallocation to the provinces.
