ISLAMABAD: The waterlogged areas in Punjab, Sindh, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa showed a decline, while they nominally increased in Balochistan in the 2014-2022 period.
According to a Planning Commission’s document, Scarp Monitoring Organisation (SMO) of Wapda covered an area of approximately 47.77 million acres, covering 49 canals commands in all four provinces. The Depth-to-Water (DTW) table, data for the pre-monsoon 2023 season, was analysed by using GIS software, and result of the analysis depicts that approximately 8 percent of the total area along IBIS falls under the waterlogged range, 77 percent of the total area along IBIS falls under the normal range, and 15 of the total area along IBIS falls under the depletion range.
The SMO findings say that the data for 2014 and 2022 had been analysed, and the comparison of the results shows that waterlogged areas in Punjab decreased from 3.66 percent to 0.048, normal depth range areas reduced from 79.16 percent to 76.54 and depleted areas increased from 17.18 percent to 22.84 percent.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the data for 2014 and 2022 had been analysed, and the comparison shows that waterlogged areas decreased from 2.07 to 0.64 percent. Normal depth range area reduced from 73.25 percent to 66.41 percent, and depleted areas increased from 24.69 percent to 32.96 percent.
Data for 2014 and 2022 had been analysed in Sindh, and the comparison of the results showed that waterlogged areas have decreased from 10.75 percent to 5.02 percent. Normal zone Areas have increased from 89.23 percent to 94.97 percent, and depleted areas have decreased from 0.01 percent to 0.006 percent.
Whereas in Balochistan, the data for 2014 and 2022 had been analysed, and the comparison shows that waterlogged areas have increased from 4.53 percent to 4.89 percent. Normal zone areas have decreased from 95.22 percent to 95.11 percent, and depleted areas have decreased from 0.24 percent to 0.00 percent.
The SMO was established in 1968 and is the only organisation having a nationwide comprehensive hydrological monitoring observation network as well database DTW and water quality monitoring.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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