Balochistan water crisis: Depleting water table posing serious threat
Matiullah Khan :
QUETTA: Speakers at a seminar have expressed serious concern over depleting water table in Balochistan. Depleting water table poses a serious threat to the population in the province that covers half of the country in terms o area. Environmentalists, educationists, and journalists spoke at length about the water crisis in Balochistan at a seminar organized by the Islamic Relief, a non-governmental organization on Thursday.
“This issue needs coordinated efforts by all organizations, Rizwan Kasi, the provincial chief of IR told the participants of the seminar. Dr. Malik Muhammad Akhtar, the Chairman Environmental Sciences Department Balochistan University of Information Technology and Management Sciences (BUITEMS), Rabia Zafar, the Chairperson Sardar Bahadur Khan Women University, Dr. Zahoor Bazai of the Balochistan University and others shared their experiences, knowledge, and information about the water crisis in the province.
“Environmental laws exist in Balochistan but with no implementation”
“Environmental laws exist in Balochistan but with no implementation”, Dr. Malik Muhammad Akhtar said. Currently 300 cases relating to environmental issues are pending in the environmental tribunal. “Water scarcity will force the people for migration in future”, Rabia Zafar warned.
At present 98% of freshwater agriculture in Pakistan, groundwater use is 60 to 70%, water storage here is 7% for 30 days, they informed.
They stated that 62 percent population of Balochistan was deprived of clean drinking water. “IR is committed to sensitizing the people about climate change in Balochistan”, Mr. Rizwan Kasi stated.
