Senate panel grills flood commission for 'incomplete' encroachment data

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Water Resources Tuesday sharply criticised the Federal Flood Commission (FFC) for not providing complete data on river and waterway encroachments despite Pakistan’s high vulnerability to climate change.

The FFC chairman reported no encroachments in Punjab’s rivers as of August 2024, but later identified 153 in Sargodha and 676 in Multan. However, data from other key regions, including Faisalabad, Bahawalpur, DG Khan and Potohar remained missing.

Senator Shahadat Awan, chairing the meeting, warned of action if the FFC did not remove encroachments within a month. “If you can’t do your job, shut down the commission,” he said, calling failure to address the issue “criminal negligence.” Acting FFC Chairman Athar Hameed cited delays in gathering data from provinces but faced a stern reprimand.

The meeting also reviewed the Dam Safety Act, which the water resources secretary said would be finalized within two months, incorporating tunnel safety provisions. Karachi’s K-4 water supply project came under scrutiny, with officials blaming slow progress on funding constraints.

It was also revealed that Rs211 billion had been allocated for the Cholistan water project, while Karachi’s water supply project lacked sufficient funds.

The committee demanded details of the Ministry of Water Resources’ development budget, which the secretary confirmed stood at Rs324 billion, allocated for various dam and water infrastructure projects.

The committee postponed discussions on the implementation of the National Water Policy 2018 and directed the ministry to provide a detailed breakdown of its Rs324 billion budget in the next meeting.