Current dry spellputs Pakistan’s food security at stake

ISLAMABAD: The ongoing dry spell in the country has virtually put Pakistan’s food security at stake as in case the required momentum of rains are not available in January and February, the water deficit would increase up to 25 percent from 17 percent.

And under this scenario, the last watering in March 2017 required to mature crops will be not less than a mission impossible. If the last watering is not ensured, then the food security is feared to be compromised, one of the top officials of Indus River System Authority told The News.

The water situation has become more alarming as the inflows in Jhelum river have gone down to 5000-6000 cusecs from the average flows of 8000 to 10,000 cusecs and the same case is with the River Chenab. And both the rivers originate from held Kashmir in India. Both the said rivers play important role in irrigating the crops in Punjab — the food basket of Pakistan. The water flow situation is not up to the mark, rather it has worried the Indus River System Authority’s (Irsa) top management.

When contacted, spokesman of Irsa confirmed that the inflows in both the rivers of Jehlum and Chenab have considerably gone down which has raised the eye brows. However, the stored water in the dams is left up to 1.3 million acre feet and if there is no reasonable rain in the country by February, then dams will get emptied. The farmers of both Punjab and Sindh provinces would have to increase their reliance on tubewells to ensure the last watering of crops.