The developments reported in the suo motu hearing by the honourable Supreme Court of Pakistan regarding conservation of water resources speak volumes about our collective mindset on natural resources and how to go about benefiting from them. The matter was taken up by Justice Saqib Nisar, then chief justice of Pakistan. The court has failed to find closure after having instructed the provincial governments to legislate on groundwater conservation and submit law drafts to the court. The latest development reported is a warning by the bench hearing the case. “We are giving a final notice to all the governments to furnish draft laws for conservation of water resources and we expect positive steps from them since it is not a matter of Karachi or Quetta but the entire country,” Justice Umar Ata Bandial, who heads a three-judge bench, said on Monday. If any of the governments fail to comply with the order, the court would take strict action, the bench reminded. The court wishes to have a uniform law in place across the country and it wishes to see strict enforcement. The issue of groundwater use caught the court’s attention after it took up the case of sale of bottled water. The court noted that many companies were extract water from the ground and paying no price, rates or taxes. Groundwater is a precious natural resource. For decades industrial practices have caused unchecked pollution and waste. Groundwater depletion risks increasing our dependence for water supply on rainwater. Urbanisation and climate change are also complicating the issue. There has not been a good monsoon in three years. Less rain means less water in rivers, especially in the Indus River. The worst documented suffering on account of less rain is in Balochistan and southern parts of Sindh. Balochistan lacks assured water supplies for drinking what to talk of irrigation. The Supreme Court has formed a commission to investigate the shortage of drinking water in Balochistan’s Bhagnari area following reports in the media that people and their cattle shared a pond to quench their thirst. The governments should take adequate measures to conserve water resources. A chief justice asking for donations to build water reservoirs is not a good sign. There can be no question that water conservation is an important issue for the governments, and not just judges. *