Recommendations for National Water Policy Framework launched

Recommendations for Pakistan’s National Water Policy Framework for the consideration of the government were launched by non-governmental organisation Hisaar Foundation on Tuesday.

The launch ceremony was held at the JS Auditorium, Aman Town, CEJ- Institute of Business Administration, City Campus.

A Hisaar Foundation official said the recommendations were the culmination of two years of consultations, which included discussion sessions with stakeholders across the spectrum as well as two international conferences that focused on water cooperation and security.

The policy framework was presented by Simi Kamal, convener, Think Tank on Rational Use of Water.

She stated that the recommendations were part of the first report of the think tank on rational use of water. The recommendations, she said, focused on five main areas for further action: improving water access for the poor and landless, financing the urban and rural water value chain, safeguarding the Indus Basin and its infrastructure, improving water institutions and their management and governance, and finally building a base for science, technology and social aspects of water.

“The goals of the recommendations for Pakistan’s national water policy framework call for extending irrigation system to arid districts of Pakistan. It also calls for creating new storages and enhancing existing storages at different levels. The policy framework calls for improvement in water efficiency by 10 percent. It also calls for increasing productivity in agriculture.”

The policy framework recommends preserving, repairing and maintaining the water infrastructure. It also calls for a reversal in abiyana to realise the true value of water. The framework proposes control in groundwater withdrawals as well as in generation of additional indigenous hydropower.

The recommendations also call for increased coordination between water, agriculture and industry for maximum benefits. It further suggests making investment in water infrastructure and hydropower a core part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Later, MPA Samar Ali Khan highlighted the fact that mismanagement of water was a governance issue and that the government was non-responsive.

The panellists included Arif Alvi, Ehsan Malik, and Seema Taher Khan, Abdul Fateh Tunio from the Planning and Development Department and Irshad Bohio of Wapda Hyderabad. Hisaar Foundation Chairperson Zohair Ashir made the welcome address and Dr Sarosh Lodi, a member of the think tank, moderated the discussion.

Pricing of water was an important topic of discussion amongst the panellists as was the inaction on the part of the government to formulate a national water policy. 

Arif Alvi said Karachi was dumping around 420 million gallons of sewage into the sea.

Ehsan Malik shed light on the water economy. He said that while the CPEC would raise investment to the tune of $50 billion, the cost of replacement of the Indus basin irrigation system amounted to one trillion dollars, which needed to be protected first. 

To conclude, Seema Taher Khan urged the Sindh government to adopt the policy framework for implementation at all levels. She also said that the policy framework would be launched in all the provinces.   Songs were also played depicting the plight of the people of Tharparkar and other arid areas.