Water supply in Pakistan fell from 5,000 cubic meters per capita to 1,000 cubic meters in 2010, and is likely to further reduce to 800 cubic meters per capita by 2020, WB's reports states.
According to Falkenmark Water Stress Indicator, a country or region is said to experience "water stress" when annual water supplies drop below 1,700 cubic meters per person per year. When water supplies drop below 1,000 cubic meters per person per year, the country faces "water scarcity".
Being wary of the exigent situation, experts have stressed for inculcating a sense of civic responsibility among the masses to sensibly utilize water as the country has been declared one of the most water-stressed countries in the world.
Importance of water --a life-line for the existence of every specie on earth--is yet to be taken seriously in Pakistan given the unscrupulous use of this essential commodity everywhere.
In Pakistan, water is excessively wasted at houses, offices, markets, factories. Fresh and drinking water is used for washing, gardening and other non-drinkable purposes.
Besides wastage, burgeoning population, climate change, lack of water reservoirs, and manipulation of Jhelum and Chenab rivers by India are other key factors squeezing water availability in Pakistan.
In Islamabad alone, upto 30 million gallons of water are wasted daily owing to shabby pipelines. This quantity is equivalent to the water stored in Simly Dam.
"We have prepared a PC-1 of Rs11 billion that is lying with the Planning Commission for approval as the Cabinet Division has already given go-ahead to replace and rehabilitate the outdated water supply network to save 30 million gallons water that goes to waste every day," said a senior CDA official.
International firms are keen to win the multi-billion project. The Authority is trying to seek funding for the project from any international donor agency.
CDA cannot wait for long as the situation is deteriorating by the day and it worsens in the summer when water needs increase manifold and civic body has to bank upon water tankers for water supply to residents.
As per original Master Plan, the Authority was supposed to upgrade water supply network every decade but it failed to do so that has created a crisis-like situation as the population of the federal capital has crossed the figure of one million.
He said under the plan, old and rusty pipelines, laid down four decades ago, would be replaced with the help trenchless technology that is quite popular in many developed countries.
Under the plan, a meter system would also be introduced to counter non-judicious use of water. The Authority would then be able to supply water round the clock. According to the official, as long term step, the Authority is also in contact with the federal government to seek provincial consent for conduction of 200 MGD water from Tarbella for twin cities.
A 49-kilometres long water pipeline would be laid down from Ghazi Barotha canal to Shah Allah Ditta in the federal capital under the Public Sector Development Project (PSDP).
Pakistan's water woes are also compounded by silting at the Tarbela and Mangla dams, with an internal official assessment admitting that it has lost 32 per cent of its storage capacity due to the problem. The country has a large surplus of unused water. Its documents show about 30 MAF as "available surplus" with a very high escapage to the sea.