“CAUSES OF WATER CRISES IN PAKISTAN”

Causes of Water Crisis: Several factors have contributed to today's potential drought-like
situation. From sewerage issues to insufficient water supply, dams to canal systems, each
has contributed to Pakistan's current water crisis. Weather and climate issues are also a
contributing factor to the current situation.

1- Wastage of water:
This issue has been prevalent for decades. The first issue is water waste. People who live
in areas with adequate water supply tend to waste a lot of water, as evidenced by the
water flowing freely on the streets after they have filled up their tanks, rather than
preserving and closing the valves. People tend to let the water flow freely on the streets,
as if the state has an abundance of water. Some waste water while washing a car with a
high-pressure washer. Several social media movements have taken place. Some people
also started campaigns to prevent more water from being wasted. It is unknown
whether they produced any satisfactory results. On the one hand, people waste more
water in some areas, whereas in many areas of Pakistan, there is no water available for
drinking.
The water supply schedule is not accurate or proper at all; water is abundantly provided
in a few regions of each city, while others suffer and do not have enough water to meet
their daily needs. Notably, there are more issues for people living in cities during the
summer. Because when proper water supply is not provided to them, they are forced to
fill water cans and drums from a
significant distance from their
homes, and they must carry all of
that water back to their homes to
ensure that they have water
when the actual supply runs out.
They frequently bring tankers to
fill their necessary water
containers. However, they are
expensive and do not guarantee
the purity of water that they can
obtain from the actual supply. (Google.com, 2013)
2- Limited Water Supply:
Because of limited water supply, rural areas face more severe problems than urban
areas.
Some people live in the drylands, where finding water is impossible. Rural areas can
hardly store water for themselves at this point because the government has not built a
proper reservoir in those areas; most people rely on wells they have dug to meet their
water needs, but the sad reality is that the wells are also going dry in many areas due to
less rainfall in recent times. Water shortages are also exacerbated by outdated water
pipes throughout the country.
Since decades, the water supply system has not been updated. It is estimated to be 30
to 50 years old and rusted in various areas. There had been no local or municipal
committee initiatives to replace the old pipelines (Toppa, 2016). This contributes to
water scarcity and increases the risk of lower water supply in Pakistan, as these clogged
lines will not supply water for much longer if they are not repaired.
The Water mafia in Pakistan, which is attempting to take control of the waters, has
emerged as a major culprit in recent times. They are responsible for stealing water,
cutting off supplies to the people by destroying water supply lines, preventing people
from getting water through government pipelines, and forcing people to buy water
tankers from the mafia (Kunbhar, 2016). According to the Chief Engineer of the Karachi
Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB), Jawed Shamim, 30% of the water supply has been
lost due to water thefts and leakages (Dry Dams, 2020). People continue to suffer as a
result of this situation, and they may be deprived of it in the near future.

(Google.com, 2013)
3- Irrigation System:
On the other hand, Pakistan's agricultural lands consume the majority of the water from
its canal system, which is thought to be underutilised. The operating mechanism and
maintenance are also ineffective and insufficient. It also contributes to Pakistan's record
low crop production per acre. The current situation is the result of a rigid system and
insufficient drainage. Another factor is water logging and over-exploitation of
groundwater. In various areas, these practises are preventing people from having access
to clean water. The irrigation system is poorly managed, and it has become obsolete due
to a lack of periodic maintenance. If this issue is not resolved, the production of
agricultural products in general, and food items in particular, may be put on hold for an
extended period of time.
Crops and fields do not receive pure water, preventing them from growing or allowing
them to die, resulting in a decrease in the country's agricultural development. Without
it, the economy will suffer more as the production of fruits, vegetables, and grains
declines.
Pakistan is an
agricultural
country, with
agriculture
accounting for the
majority of its
economy. So,
without water,
there can be no
agriculture or
crops. The
government has
taken no effective
measures to keep
Pakistan from
deteriorating further.

(Google.com, 2013)
Bringing its water supply and water-rich lands to an unavoidable end. Previous
governments have also completely ignored this issue, and it has not been resolved for
many decades.

4- Storage capacity of dams:

The water crisis has reached a tipping point in its current state. Because the dams are
storing less water than their estimated capacity. Pakistan's two major reservoirs, the
Tarbela and Mangla dams, have recently reached new lows. According to Muhammad
Khalid Rana, a spokesman for the Indus River System Authority (IRSA), "the country
receives 145 million acre-feet of water annually and can save only 13.7 million acre
feet." Pakistan requires 40 million acre feet of water, but 29 million acre feet of
floodwater is wasted due to a lack of dams.
New Delhi has raised this issue with international bodies, arguing that it should be
allowed to use the western rivers because Pakistan is incapable of doing so properly"
(Baloch 2018). India is failing to meet the obligations imposed by the Indus Water Treaty
on both countries. Furthermore, India is acting selfishly by providing water to Pakistan
via its rivers (Khan, 2019). Pakistan's per capita water availability has fallen to 1017 cubic
metres, far below the 1500 cubic metres available in 2009. (Baloch, 2018).
New dams, namely the Diamer Basha and Mohmand dams, have also been built in
recent years. The government encouraged Pakistanis to contribute to the construction.
Pakistan's government has asked both national and international Pakistanis for
assistance in raising $14 billion for dam construction (Meribole, 2020). Citizens across
the country have responded positively, but more investment is needed for development.
They
have
not yet
reached
their
full

potential. In a landscape where Pakistan cannot prevent floods from destroying

property, the construction of a dam to prevent such disasters is still unknown. The water
crisis has reached a tipping point, and the dams are still not ready. If there aren't enough
dams in Pakistan, where will the water be stored?
(Google.com, 2013)

5- Climate Change:
Climate change has also had an impact on the current situation. The water crisis has been
exacerbated by extreme heat, melting glaciers, and gas emissions. Due to extreme weather,
rivers and seas are soaking year after year. In Karachi alone, 65 people died from heatstroke
in May 2018.

In contrast, nearly 1200 people died in 2015 as a result of extreme heat (Baloch, 2018).
Water scarcity is not uncommon due to the extreme heat and unforgiving atmosphere. The
rivers and seas are rapidly soaking, threatening to turn the area into a scorching desert.
In recent years, the monsoon season has been unpredictable. Weather forecasters are
having difficulty predicting when the monsoon will arrive. The winter and monsoon seasons
appear to have shrunk as a result of climate change. Year after year, their duration has been
reduced. Winters have also appeared to be getting shorter in recent years. Winter used to
last nearly four months out of the year, but it now only lasts about two months in most
parts of the country. Greenhouse gas emissions and extreme heat are also outcomes of
social change (Meribole, 2020).
Some of Pakistan's glaciers, most notably the Ultar Glacier, have suffered as a result of
global warming and pollution. The valley's residents have benefited from the glacier in the
form of fresh water and crop cultivation. However, they are now denied it in the same way
that rural and urban civilizations are (Hadid, 2019). Melting glaciers and heavy rains in hilly
areas are causing floods that have destroyed many lands and houses across the country. It
also contributes to water wastage.
(Google.com, 2013)

Population Growth:

Population growth is also contributing to Pakistan's ongoing water crisis. It is the world's
sixth-largest country, with a population of approximately 220 million people. As a result, it
uses more water than countries such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The
possibility of a water crisis in Pakistan is heightened by the country's constant population
growth. As the population grows, so does the demand for water. People from rural areas
frequently migrate to urban areas in search of better education, employment, and a better
way of life with better facilities available in urban areas. When a specific season arrives,
some of them return to their areas after storing sufficient resources. Water supply has
begun to dwindle over time as a result of rising population and migration. More water is
needed as more people move to cities and urban areas. Due to the large number of people
living in the same building, water supply is often difficult to use in apartments.

6- Drying Rivers:
Pakistan's rivers are also drying up due to the country's climatic conditions. The most
affected area is Punjab, which has five major rivers that contribute to the country's water
supply. The Beas and Sutlej rivers have already vanished, leaving scorching deserts in their
wake. In recent times, legendary rivers have given birth to many civilizations. It has also
provided fresh water and crops to people living near the river. Ravi River suffered the same
fate as Sutlej. The Indus River, which is also known for the birth of several civilizations, is
also drying up every year. When these rivers have dried up, the other rivers are also
threatened. They are also drying out every year as a result of the extreme hot weather,
leaving them with no fresh water at all. Due to the pollution and climate changes, even the
small villages and tribes are deprived of water (Khalid, 2018).
India has made it clear that they will stop sending water to Pakistan because they need to
build a reservoir to address their water crisis. Pakistan has also lost its supply from one of
the world's largest rivers. Furthermore, India's recent plans to build a "chain of dams" on
Pakistani (western) rivers have posed a serious challenge to Pakistan.
On the other hand, India is also to blame for the river's inefficient use of water. According to
UN reports, Pakistan will become a water-scarce country in the near future. Furthermore,
the IMF has ranked Pakistan as the third most vulnerable country to water scarcity (Durrani,
2020). It is suffering in the same way as Pakistan and other countries around the world. If
these rivers continue to disappear, both countries will struggle to survive.
(Google.com, 2013)

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Khan, A. (2021). WATER CRISIS IN PAKISTAN: PROSPECTS AND

IMPLICATIONS. PalArch’s Journal of Archaeology of Egypt / Egyptology, [online] 18(1),
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[Accessed 5 Dec. 2022].

Shah Meer Baloch (2018). Why is Pakistan running dry? [online] dw.com. Available at:
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%22Pakistan%20receives%20around%20145%20million,because%20we%20have%20few
%20dams [Accessed 5 Dec. 2022].

Our Staff Reporter (2020). Dry dams, leaking pipes and tanker mafias main reason for water
crisis. [online] The Nation. Available at: https://www.nation.com.pk/20-Jun-2020/dry-dams-
leaking-pipes-and-tanker-mafias-main-reason-for-water-crisis [Accessed 5 Dec. 2022].

NPR.org. (2019). ‘Maybe It Will Destroy Everything’: Pakistan’s Melting Glaciers Cause
Alarm. [online] Available at: https://www.npr.org/2019/11/21/779412377/maybe-it-will-
destroy-everything-pakistan-s-melting-glaciers-cause-alarm [Accessed 5 Dec. 2022].

‌StuDocu. (2020). 01 Water Shortage in Pakistan Abdul Rauf Iqbal. [online] Available at:
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01-water-shortage-in-pakistan-abdul-rauf-iqbal/3963409 [Accessed 5 Dec. 2022].

Khalid, H. (2018). With Pakistan’s rivers dying, are its ancient cities running out of
time? [online] DAWN.COM. Available at: https://www.dawn.com/news/1426170 [Accessed
5 Dec. 2022].

‌Zulfiqar Kunbhar (2016). Bribes and shortages: Karachi’s burgeoning water mafia. [online]
DAWN.COM. Available at: https://www.dawn.com/news/1295479 [Accessed 5 Dec. 2022].

‌The Third Pole (2020). Opinion: Who owns groundwater in water-stressed Pakistan? | The
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pakistan/ [Accessed 5 Dec. 2022].

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