On January 4, Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan said at a press conference said that Pakistan urgently needs new dams and reservoirs. Kalabagh dam could also be built, but with national consensus, the PTI chairman added.
PTI’s Punjab president, Ejaz Chaudhry told Truth Tracker that he himself, along with Dr. Yasmin Rashid, had been selected by the PTI chairman to conduct a series of programs on the issue of water scarcity.
He said,“The first conference was held in Lahore in which some renowned water experts participated and they gave their precious suggestions to solve the condition of water scarcity in the country. Everyone was on the same page that Pakistan needed big reservoirs as quickly as possible, including the one that would be created by the disputed Kalabagh Dam. After conducting a series of seminars and conferences, PTI would publish a full report on the water issue and its solution.”
Ahmed Mukhtar, the former Federal Minister for Water & Power, backed up Khan’s statement that Pakistan faces a water crisis. He told Truth Tracker that Pakistan could be one of those countries that would face a drought situation if quick and timely steps were not taken.
“The PPP-led government started more than 30 small and medium dams. Our government succeeded in acquiring $3.5 billion dollars for Diamir Bhasha Dam, and the extension of Tarbela also commenced in our tenure, which will be useful to preserve flood water,” he further stated.
The Federal Minister for Water & Power, Khawja Asif, himself admitted the problem of water scarcity in a press conference held in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan. He stated, during the press briefing, that the country’s water shortage had become life threatening.
Dr. Munawar Sabir,a water expert, told Truth Tracker that Pakistan had reached at a very dangerous point of water scarcity. In 1947, the amount of water available per capita was 5,000 cubic meters, but that has plummeted to 850, he further stated.
“Each human requires about three liters of drinking water per day and Pakistan’s population of 3 million is increasing every year, which means that water usage increases by 100,000 liters annually. Unfortunately, since 1974, not a single big reservoir has been constructed in the country and the water storage capacity of dams like Tarbela is decreasing day by day,” said Sabir.
Rabia Sultan, a member of the Water Council of Pakistan, said that more than 33 million acre feet water was being thrown into the sea every year.
She said,”Seepage and leakage in canals and fords are also among the main causes of water waste. Furthermore, the water level in urban areas is going down by four to five feet per year and there are no water treatment plants which can save this waste,” she told Truth Tracker. “Despite having the biggest canal system, Pakistan’s water has been steadily wasted for the last 30 to 40 years, and if this situation goes on for the next 10 years Pakistan will be among the drought countries.”
Dr. Muhammad Javed, a soil scientist, said although national leadership knew about this alarming situation, they did not take necessary measures.
Javed said, “Along with building new reservoirs government should try to introduce drip irrigation and sprinkler methods of watering the crops. Awareness regarding flood irrigation must be given to farmers and crop zoning policy should be adopted to save water.”
According to the Dawn newspaper, a top Water and Power Ministry official told legislators that the country was likely to experience a drought situation in next 12 years if immediate action was not taken to improve storage and conservation capacity.
Considering the strong evidence from politicians and water experts, Truth Tracker finds Imran Khan’s statement true.
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