Chairman Indus River System Authority (IRSA) Rao Irshad Ali Khan has revealed that Inter-provincial disputes on water were not the new ones but it was happened at the time of implementing the Sutlej Valley Canal Project during in 1932. He was addressing the participants of one day colloquium on "water crisis and choices: post-flood scenario" under the auspicious of Pakistan Society of Agricultural Engineers, Faculty of Agri Engg & Technology here at New Senate Hall on Monday morning.
Rao Irshad urged the need for taking substantive measures immediately to fill the water demand supply gap between the available surface water of 102 MAF against the demand of 114 MAF adding that other challenges posed by inefficient water use and mushrooming pumping through tubewels without paying the price as such water is being used commercially. He was of the view that the construction of water reservoirs would not be only used for electricity generation coupled with water storage but also eliminate the causes of happening the floods.
He told that Tarbela, Mangla and Chashma have been designed for 15.79 MAF storage capacities, which now diminished upto 11.57 MAF due to heavy silting. He highlighted various responsibilities of the IRSA and said that one of the prime responsibilities of IRSA is the regulation and distribution of surface waters amongst the Provinces according to the allocation and policies spelt out in the Water Accord 1991. Rao Irshad Ali Khan told that in 80's, Pakistan was producing 70% electricity from hydel and remaining 30% demand was met from thermal means but today that encouraging ratio has been reversed by inviting IPPs in the sector.
UAF VC Professor Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan in his keynote address told that the country had witnessed a worst-ever flood in the recent history which affected millions hectares of land and disrupt the whole life-cycle in the area. Dr Iqrar A Khan emphasised that the government must formulate such policies to arrest the growing pumping trend for commercial use and proposed some stringent action for the purpose.
He was of the view that five big cities of the country used to waste such a volume of water that a big dam can store in a year. He told that water scarcity would put its tremendous effects on ground architecture and agronomic practices. Dr Ahmad urged the need for transformation of traditional irrigation methods with drip, sprinkle and bed plantation so as to save the water.
VC University Professor Dr Zakir Hussain told that Pakistan has the world's largest contiguous irrigation system and thus ranks at 4th position as for as irrigated area with approximately 75% of the cultivated area is comprises irrigated land. He told that per person fresh water availability has been diminished upto 77% during the last 50 years as this ratio was 5300 cubic meters per annum in 1950 now declined to 1200 cubic meters which seems to be further deteriorated in 2025 with 209 million population at 850 cubic meters.
He expressed his concerns over the closure of canals in January and said that the winter crops used to be in a very critical stage and such practices may hamper the crop production to manifolds. Dr Zakir told that water is becoming scarce with each passing day and per capita availability of fresh water in Pakistan has decreased by about 800% since 1950.
Dr Zakir termed the efficient and judicious use of the irrigation water is the only sustainable option that the country left with as the irrigation system is over burdened and loosing its efficiency due to increasing gap in actual and required O&M expenditures. He warned all the stakeholders to be prudent in using the surface as well as the ground water as the 3rd world war would be on water issue, which already has begun in many parts of the country. He called the country as poor in terms of surface water availability and scarce when we couple the ground with surface water availability.
Representing Planning Commission of Pakistan Eng Naseer Ahmad Gilani told that water is not abundant, it is the engine of the growth but diminishing by every day due to our mismanagement. He told that today 1/3rd population is residing in urban areas and the ratio would be 2/3rd in 2020, which would certainly affect the water availability in the country.
Dean Faculty of Agri Engg & Technology Professor Dr Rai Niaz Ahmad told that people have been mining water without restraint because it has not been priced properly. He revealed that water consumption was doubling after every 20 years and by 2025, it is estimated that about one third of the global population will not have access to adequate drinking water, "the way we are going, water may be petroleum for the next century" he added. Dr Niaz revealed that water table in northern China is falling by one meter a year due to over pumping and in Beibei province the aquifer fell three meters during the last year.