Tragedy waits for no one

The water crisis in Pakistan has become so severe that the country’s only major water reservoirs – Tarbela and Mangla dams – have reached the historical dead level. Moreover, the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) has already warned that the country may approach absolute water scarcity by 2025. Reports suggest that this problem doesn’t appear out of the blue. In fact, it has been overlooked for many years and has, therefore, developed into a major catastrophe.

Pakistan had already touched the water stress line in 1990 and crossed the ‘water scarcity line’ in the early 2000s. The authorities concerned don’t seem to be interested in addressing this situation. As a result, the problem has been exacerbated. The government should take immediate steps to protect the nation from being deprived of this absolute necessity.

Mohammad Hassam Siddiqi

Karachi