Daily Times

The thirst games have begun as Pirkoh in Dera Bugti Khan has appeared as the latest epicentre of debilitating water shortage. Forced to quench their thirst from contaminated ponds, the locals are now battling a cholera. Elsewhere, Sindh CM Murad Ali Shah is asking farmers to skip rice cultivation. The sprawling province is on the verge of running dry any day now. Meanwhile, glacial melting appears to proceed at a snail’s pace and regulatory authorities like the Indus River System Authority show a resolve to scream till the walls come down. But all alarm bells appear to be falling on deaf ears.

Either the administration is walking in the footsteps of the infamous Nero and wishes to indulge in some fancy flute-fiddling while the soaring mercury levels burn the entire country down. (Watch out for a suggestion to drink bottled water instead!) Or and more relatedly, we are still living in denial of how the much-talked-about climate change is not on the horizon anymore.

Pakistan, one of the worst countries to be hit in terms of global warming and related disastrous conditions, is, as we speak, living through its days in hell (both figuratively and literally). News of Indian beavers ready to further disrupt the water supply is selling like hotcakes. But all such deadly developments appear to be drowned in the chaotic political din. Just making statements on social media, poking holes in the government plans or drawing comparisons is not enough. That Punjab faces an overwhelming 68 per cent downing of its irrigation water is bound to wreak havoc upon its agriculture sector.

And if the livelihoods of the foundation stone of our economy do not matter to those in power, the fact that we would be forced to hold out our begging bowl for not only fuel but even staple items might serve as a knee-jerker. The raging war in Ukraine has already spelt a global wheat shortage. Had we learnt from the examples of Israel and reinvented the wheel, now would have been an excellent opportunity to capitalise on the changing market. Nevertheless, as has been written in our stars, our dire straits seldom allow us to look away from our boiling cauldron and avail any brownie offers. *