ISLAMABAD: The Chairman of National Business Group Pakistan, the President of the Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals Forum, the President of All Karachi Industrial Alliance, the Chairman of the FPCCI Advisory Board, and the President and former provincial minister, Mian Zahid Hussain, said on Monday that Pakistan is an agricultural country. Still, no attention is paid to saving water. He said that despite water scarcity, its wastage is on the rise, which will have consequences. Mian Zahid Hussain said that, at present, water scarcity in the country has increased to an alarming extent, which is also increasing the risk of drought. DNA
Addressing the business community, the veteran business leader warned that a drought-like scenario in Punjab and Sindh could wreak havoc on both the people and the economy, underlining the serious implications of the water crisis. Therefore, it is imperative that policymakers take immediate and decisive steps to mitigate the impending crisis.
The business leader said that due to the lack of rain, the water reserves in Tarbela and Mangla dams are going to reach the lowest level, which may badly affect the agriculture of Punjab and Sindh. The farmers may also suffer heavy financial losses, and food prices will start skyrocketing.
At this time, while the economy is recovering, food shortages should not be allowed in the country as they will spread political unrest, he said. Mian Zahid Hussain said that the Indus Water System Authority had warned the irrigation departments of both provinces to take immediate steps to avoid a possible situation.
Punjab and Sindh are currently facing a thirty-five percent water shortage. Thirteen districts of Sindh, including Karachi, Hyderabad, Thatta, Khairpur, Benazirabad, Larkana, Tharparkar, and Nowshera Feroze, are likely to face drought.
He explained that a lack of water can damage crops like wheat, barley, potatoes, onions, tomatoes, and livestock, while millions of farmers can go bankrupt. Apart from concerned authorities, farmers should also make their efforts to avoid the expected situation and losses, he advised.
Mian Zahid Hussain said that due to a lack of rain, both the country’s major water reservoirs will reach dead levels before the end of March. The recent rains have provided temporary relief, but the threat of drought has not yet subsided, so emergency measures are necessary at the highest level.
