Daily Times

Environmentalists and experts on water conservation have suggested adoption of nature based solution of utilizing rainwater for recharging of fast declining groundwater level and also for mitigating serious problem of urban flooding in the country.

“Artificial ground water recharge techniques through rainwater harvesting and storage of flowing water in underground tanks have emerged as effective nature based solutions to tackle serious challenges of water scarcity in shape of rapid decline of water table and urban flooding causing damage to property and displacement of people,” they added.

These suggestions were presented during an interaction with a group of journalists gathered from four metropolises and capital city under a media fellowship jointly arranged by Institute of Urbanism (IoU), International Water Management Institute (IWMI) Pakistan, and Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung (hbs).

“In the prevailing weather conditions in Pakistan, people are faced with sever dryness for nine months while on other hand there is flooding caused due to sudden and erratic rains,” observed Dr. Muhammad Ashraf, Chairman Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR). To cope with this double whammy of water scarcity and severe flooding we have to opt for nature based solution of harvesting rainwater to fulfil our demand of essential commodity and to also avert water accumulation on roads, Dr. Ashraf proposed.

“The severity of both dryness and flooding needs to be balanced by reducing the tilt from both sides through opting for nature based solutions,” he summarized. He also apprised newsmen about encouraging results achieved through the initiative of rainwater harvesting by groundwater recharge wells set up in Islamabad by Capital Development Authority, recharging around 10 million gallons of water in few months.

“Within four months of installation of first state of the art artificial groundwater recharge well at Kachnar Park in Islamabad by PCRWR and IWMI Pakistan through financial support of WaterAid, the water table in the area has shown an increase of 4.8 meters” disclosed Dr. Mohsin Hafeez, Country Representative – Pakistan, IWMI.

“Up to 1.9 million gallons of water has been added to the aquifer against the rainfall of 589 mm from May – September 2022 alone,” Dr. Mohsin added.

Such initiatives of groundwater replenishment through artificial recharge wells are needed to be replicated across the country at suitable sites and must be included in by-laws for establishment of new housing societies, he stressed.

IWMI, he continued, wanted to propagate this concept of rainwater harvesting to improve groundwater level and is ready to extend technical support to concerned organizations in this regard.

Dr. Mohsin also informed that IWMI Pakistan will soon establish a Groundwater Management Information System (GMIS) to measure groundwater quantity and quality in Okara district and projecct will be eventually replicated in other parts of the country.

“The artificial recharge wells can also be installed at small level at homes and would help in recovering groundwater by saving rainwater from going to waste,” comments Sardar Khan Zimri, Deputy Director General, CDA.

Talking to newsmen Zimri said due to water scarcity in some areas of capital city people are compelled to pay Rs. 5000 for each water tanker to fill their tanks.

Whereas Islamabad receives on average around 1,400mm of rain annually and by conserving only 30 per cent rainwater through artificial groundwater recharge sites we can bridge the demand for 46 million gallons water per day against the supply of 45 million gallon per day supply, he continued.

He also stressed the need for propagation of nature based solutions to environmental problems on social media for mass awareness while keeping in view severity and seriousness of climate induced calamities.

Meanwhile in Lahore an underground tank constructed over an area of three acres with 16 feet depth at Bagh Jinnah protects busy Lawrence Road from urban flooding by saving 1.4 million gallons of rainwater after almost every downpour.

“Usually 60 millimeters of rains inundated Lawrence road which now remains clear even if the area receives 100 millimeters of rain after establishment of the water tank”, informs and official.

It took around 24 to 36 hours for WASA to clear Lawrence road from accumulated rainwater by use of pumps.