Where’s the water?

Pakistan’s water crisis has always been swept under the carpet by successive governments. Different regimes have only devoted time and resources towards energy production and fulfilling social and healthcare needs. It appears that efforts to strengthen our water reservoirs have been conveniently edged out of the debate. However, our water woes have finally been brought into the mainstream and the severity of the situation has been highlighted.

Lahore, Karachi, Faisalabad and Hyderabad are believed to be especially vulnerable to the water scarcity that has gripped our country with a iron grip and a comprehensive strategy is needed to overcome this issue. Water boring is the root cause of the vast amount of water that is being wasted in the country and the government must take an initiative to regulate this sector. Such practices should only be allowed with the permission of the relevant authorities. In addition, water metering can also be used to measure the volume of water used by residential and commercial buildings that receive their supplies through a public water supply system.

Ahmad Kamal Hakeem

Islamabad