Pakistan is on the brink of a worsening water crisis as the country’s usable water reserves continue to plummet at an alarming rate, according to the latest data released by the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA).
As of today, the nation’s usable water reserves stand at 3.856 million acre-feet, reflecting a significant decrease of 188,000 acre-feet compared to the previous day. Over the past four days alone, a cumulative drop of 723,000 acre-feet has been recorded, raising serious concerns about the sustainability of water resources in the coming weeks.
WAPDA’s report highlights a notable decline in river inflows, particularly in the Indus River, where water flow has reduced by 10,000 cusecs. Similarly, Jhelum River has seen a drop of 2,600 cusecs, while the Chashma Barrage registered a decrease of 2,500 cusecs.
In contrast, a slight increase was observed in the Chenab River, where inflows rose by 500 cusecs, bringing the total to 19,800 cusecs. However, experts believe this marginal improvement is insufficient to offset the broader decline in water availability.
A day ago, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif emphasized the importance of building new water reservoirs as a national priority, urging both the federation and provinces to work together.
“Construction of non-disputed water reservoirs must be completed on a fast track,” he said chairing a high-level meeting focused on Pakistan’s water security, while assuring that new dams will only be built with the consensus of all provinces.
High-level committee formed
To move the plan forward, a high-powered committee has been formed under Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar. The committee will evaluate funding strategies for dam construction and includes all five chief ministers, the AJK prime minister, and relevant federal ministers.
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The prime minister has directed the committee to submit its recommendations within 72 hours.
Progress on key dam projects
A detailed briefing during the meeting revealed ongoing work on major dam projects:
- Diamer-Bhasha Dam, a crucial reservoir in the north, is under construction and expected to be completed by 2032.
- Mohmand Dam is progressing steadily, with completion anticipated by 2027.
- Pakistan currently has 11 major dams with a storage capacity of 15.318 million acre-feet.
- 32 dams are under construction under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP), while 79 more dams are being built under the Annual Development Programme (ADP).
The PM also strongly warned India against its continued threats and aggression over the region’s water resources, vowing that Pakistan will respond with full force and national unity to defend its rights under international agreements.
He described India’s stance on the water issue as a continuation of its arrogance and hegemonic mindset. “Just like Marka-e-Haq, we will respond to India’s water aggression — and Pakistan will emerge victorious,” he declared, calling the right to water security a “collective national challenge.”
The emergency meeting, attended by chief ministers of all four provinces, the prime ministers of Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, as well as key federal ministers, focused on formulating a comprehensive national action plan to safeguard Pakistan’s water resources amid India’s escalating hostilities.
“All leaders in the meeting unanimously condemned India’s aggressive water policy,” a statement said.
The premier confirmed that India has threatened to cut off Pakistan’s water, a move that he says violates the spirit and letter of the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960, under which Pakistan has rights over three western rivers. But, he claimed, the whole world had rejected India's threats. He has strongly condemned India’s unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, declaring it an act of "water aggression".
