Minister orders fair water distribution to provinces

Islamabad : Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Dr Musadik Malik on Tuesday directed authorities to ensure that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan receive their fair share of water.

"Every region’s rightful share of water should be protected and allocated in accordance with the agreed national framework and plans," the minister said during a meeting of the Prime Minister’s Task Force on Water Scarcity and its Impact on Rabi and Kharif Crops here.

The minister said that the federal government was committed to addressing the growing challenge of water scarcity through data-driven planning, inter-provincial collaboration and sustainable management practices to safeguard the country’s agricultural economy and ensure long-term food security.

He stressed the need for enhancing coordination among provinces to optimise the use of available water resources through improved management, monitoring and infrastructure.

During the meeting, senior officials from the water resources, national food security and planning ministries, Water and Power Development Authority, and provincial irrigation departments and water management authorities discussed the current and projected water availability scenarios for the upcoming Rabi and Kharif crop seasons, along with the latest data on water flows from India and their variance over the last several years.