Daily Times

Former federal parliamentary secretary Onaza Ehsan has said that the nation needs to make bold decision to avert the impending water crisis in the country.

Pakistan needs to build water reservoirs, and not motorways, at this crucial juncture, she said in a statement issued on Monday.

“All stakeholders must develop a consensus on water management. Pakistan is going to face increasing water scarcity owing to India’s active strategy to control and manage water resources and fast changing climatic patterns.” Construction of Large dams to address growing agriculture and electricity needs of the country as the storage capacity of Tarbela and Mangla dams had been reduced over the years owing to silting.

“Moreover, long, medium and short term strategies need to be formulated in order to preserve water. In the short run , we may look to employ water treatment strategies and educate the stakeholders in order to achieve an optimal level of available water consumption. Meanwhile, strategies for the medium term may include a complete review of water treaties and building water reservoir S so that water is distributed in an equitable and a sustainable manner. In the long run , Pakistan can consider setting up desalination plants to make better use of river and sea water.”

Published in Daily Times, July 10^th 2018.