Pakistan was declared a water-stressed country in 2005. Over 90 percent of our water resources are consumed by the agricultural sector and 50 percent of them are wasted on outdated irrigation practices. The remaining 10 percent are used by civic and industrial purposes. The water scarcity is one of the major challenges that we are facing. If news reports are to serve as a useful gauge, the amount of fresh water in the country is rapidly decreasing and the quantity of polluted water is increasing. As a result, water isn’t suitable for human consumption.
The scarcity of water has also produced conflicts over its possession, which have adversely impact our economy. We must recognise the fact that our water woes can be resolved through individual initiatives and collective efforts to conserve water at every level. On an entirely individual level, we should avoid wasting water by leaving our taps running. On the policy front, laws on water efficiency should be duly enforced and environmentally-friendly practices ought to be emphasised in the manufacturing process to avoid any chemical waste polluting our rivers. We also need large water reservoirs to store water and prevent it from overflowing.
Muhammad Rafay Waqar
Lahore