Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is facing shortage of water while scarcity is increasing with a fast pace therefore government should take steps to tackle the threat, a business leader said on Tuesday.

Continued fall in availability of water is taking toll on masses, industry and agriculture but policymakers seems indifferent, said Atif Ikram Sheikh, former president ICCI in a statement issued here.

He said water scarcity is a bigger threat to our security than militancy as the country may run dry by 2025 resulting in violent conflicts in the country. He said country may face drought-like situation in the near future if immediate and urgent steps were not taken that include containing wastage of water.

He said it is very alarming that our capacity to preserve water has shrunk over the years while we have world’s fourth highest rate of water use.

He said IMF has already declared Pakistan as the third most water-stressed country in the world while the economic impact of the water crisis would be immense. He said there is not sufficient awareness among the masses and policymakers of the impending water crisis in Pakistan.

The surpluses of water in summer create floods, inflicting major damages to the infrastructure while shortages in Rabi season take toll on agriculture, he added.

He said Pakistan is rapidly becoming a water-scarce country but there is little awareness of this looming disaster and its repercussions on social and economic fronts.