LAHORE: The business community has urged the government to declare water emergency to save the country and future generations.
United International Group Chairman Mian Shahid, in a statement, called for a proper strategy and improved water management backed by extra allocations to ensure survival of the economy. He said that additional funds should be allocated for development of water resources otherwise our agriculture, livestock and industry will be damaged while country will become a desert.
Mian Shahid said that almost ninety percent of water resources are being used for agriculture of which a sizeable quantity is lost due to outdated distribution system while 35 million acre foot water goes to the sea. The level of ground water is dropping but farmers still use 100 per cent more water than Indian farmers while the ratio is 200 per cent higher as compare to China and 300 per cent higher to developed nations.
The wastage of water by farmers is a threat to our agriculture covering 21 percent of the GDP and absorbing 45 percent of the labour, he remarked. He noted that Pakistan urgently need 200 small, medium and mega dams while it has only 61 out of which only two are mega dams.
He said that 50 years back per capita water availability in country was 5650 cubic metre which is now below 1100 cubic meter which has left impact on power generation and prices of many commodities. Country will need 277 maf of water and 100 increase in water storage capacity by 2025 otherwise it will face a catastrophe, he added.
