Water banking

According to media reports, Pakistan’s water resources are rapidly plummeting and the per capita availability in the country has decreased by 80 percent since 1951 due to rapid growth in the population and depleting water storage capacity of the reservoirs because of sedimentation. Moreover, no mega water storage project has been constructed in the country after the completion of the Tarbela Dam in 1974, despite the fact that a lot of potential sites exist in the country.
Owing to climate change, rainfall pattern has been disturbed in the country. The reduced rainfall has affected groundwater level, which is depleting at an alarming pace. Also, our dams have limited capacity to store excessive water. Experts have called for enhancing the water storage capacity of the country to ensure water security. Water storage, besides providing water for agriculture also generates cheap electricity and help mitigate floods.
Khan Faraz
Peshawar