PESHAWAR
\nAs the first golden rays of sunlight spread over the fertile plains of Lundkhwar tehsil, 45-year-old farmer Muhammad Ishaq steps quietly into his melon fields in village Moti Banda, Mardan, worrying about water scarcity amid repeated violations of Indus Water Treaty (IWT) by India.
\nMoments after offering Fajr prayers, Ishaq and his brothers begin their daily harvest, hoping to earn maximum capital during Iftar.
\nMoving carefully between rows of green vines, they pluck ripe melons and place them gently into sacks one after another before the rising sun grows too harsh.
\nDuring the holy month of Ramazan, the sweet, juicy fruit has become a staple on iftar tables across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
\nDemand has surged, turning melons into one of the most sought-after seasonal fruits in local markets during Iftar.
\nBut for farmers like Ishaq, the harvest season brings not only opportunity but it also carries growing uncertainty amid Indus Water Treaty violations by India.
\n\u201cAfter Fajr prayer, I come to the fields with my brothers to pick melons before the sun becomes stronger,\u201d Ishaq says, adjusting his white cap while selecting another ripe fruit.
\nFor him, the crop represents months of careful work, watering and hope for financial stability.
\nMelons have quietly emerged as one of the most profitable seasonal crops in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab province.
\n\u201cWith proper irrigation and good management, a single acre can produce hundreds of kilograms,\u201d Ishaq explains. \u201cFarmers can earn between Rs200,000 and Rs300,000 per acre if everything especially water supply\u2014goes well.\u201d
\nIshaq\u2019s optimism about the future harvest is overshadowed by concerns about water availability following repeated violations of IWT by India.
\nFarmers across the region fear that disruptions in western rivers flows could threaten crops and fruits orchards that depend heavily on irrigation from the Indus Basin system.
\nAgriculture in districts like Mardan and Swabi relies largely on water supplied through Tarbela Dam on the Indus River. Any reduction in water flow could directly affect seasonal crops including wheat, rice, sugarcane and fruits such as melons, watermelons and strawberries.
\n\u201cWater is the lifeline of agriculture,\u201d Ishaq says. \u201cIf river flows decrease, crops like melons and watermelons in Swabi, Swat, Mardan and Charsadda could disappear quickly.\u201d
\nMelon growers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are already struggling with changing weather patterns and IWT violations by India could further negatively impact on agriculture sector.
\nIn Nowshera district, farmer Malyar Khan who has cultivated melons for more than a decade on bank of River Kabul says irregular rainfall and climate change have badly affected production in his five-acres orchard this season.
\n\u201cNormally an acre yields around 400 to 450 kilograms,\u201d he says. \u201cBut the lack of rainfall has reduced production and our daily income.\u201d
\nExtreme weather events have also increased farmers\u2019 vulnerability. Floods in the Kabul and Swat rivers in 2022 damaged fruit farms in several districts, destroying crops and exposing the fragile nature of seasonal agriculture.
\nMany farmers are now demanding better irrigation planning and interest-free loans to help them survive difficult seasons.
\nAgriculture and environmental experts warned that any disruption in river flows could have far-reaching consequences for Pakistan\u2019s farming economy and food security.
\nGohar Khan, former Chief Conservator of the Forest Department and an environmental expert, says climate change is already altering rainfall patterns and accelerating glacier melt in northern Pakistan.
\n\u201cThese changes are affecting seasonal crops and fruit production especially melons across the province,\u201d he explains.
\nHe cautioned that continued tensions over river waters could worsen the situation.
\n\u201cIf water flows become unpredictable, fruit orchards as well as crops like wheat and rice in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Sindh may suffer severe losses,\u201d he said, warning that IWT violations could even trigger a humanitarian crisis in vulnerable communities.
\nPakistan depends on the Indus Basin irrigation system for more than 80 percent of its irrigated agriculture, making stable water flows essential for the country\u2019s food security.
\nEconomists said irregular water releases by India can also disrupt Pakistan\u2019s irrigation management system and create floods in Punjab and Sindh province.
\nProfessor Muhammad Naeem of the Economics Department at the University of Swabi said that sudden fluctuations in flows of western rivers can disturb canal operations and reservoir management.
\n\u201cWhen water is released without prior coordination, Pakistan\u2019s irrigation planning becomes difficult,\u201d he says. \u201cUltimately, the farmer suffers the most.\u201d
\nHe emphasized that stable water supplies are critical not only for farmers but also for national agricultural productivity.
\nExperts argued that Pakistan must accelerate the construction of new dams and water reservoirs to strengthen its water security.
\nMajor projects include Diamer-Bhasha Dam, expected to generate 4,500 megawatts of electricity, and Mohmand Dam with a capacity of around 800 megawatts.
\nSeveral additional dam sites along the Indus, Swat, Kabul and Kurram rivers have also been identified.
\nWhile small dams can be completed within two to three years, large reservoirs may take 10 to 15 years to build. According to projections, Pakistan could require an additional 76 million acre-feet of water by 2050 to meet growing agricultural and domestic needs.
\nBack in Mardan, the morning harvest of melons continues as its demands soared during Ramazan in KP.
\nMuhammad Ishaq fills sack after sack with freshly picked melons before preparing to send them to the market.
\nFor him, the fruit is more than a seasonal delicacy rather it is the foundation of his family\u2019s livelihood.
\n\u201cThis crop feeds our families,\u201d he says quietly, gazing across rows of green vines stretching under the rising sun.
\n\u201cWe only hope the rivers keep flowing so our fields remain alive.\u201d
\nFor thousands of farmers across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab, the future of Pakistan\u2019s melon harvest may depend not only on weather and markets but also on the fate of the rivers that sustain their land.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
PESHAWAR As the first golden rays of sunlight spread over the fertile plains of Lundkhwar tehsil, 45-year-old farmer Muhammad Ishaq steps quietly into his melon fields in village Moti Banda, Mardan, worrying about water scarcity amid repeated violations of Indus Water Treaty (IWT) by India. Moments after offering Fajr prayers, Ishaq and his brothers begin […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-535541","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-peshawar"},"yoast_head":"\n