Islamabad: President Dr Arif Alvi on Friday said construction of water reservoirs top priority of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government as nation’s survival without water is impossible.
He said this while addressing a two-day international symposium on “Creating Water-Secure Pakistan”. The president said two million drought-ridden residents of Cholistan amplify the magnitude of this problem.
Dr Alvi said, “Our country is endowed with mountains in the north and to the Arabian Sea in the south. Nature has been very kind in providing us all kinds of natural resources including abundance of water.”
He further said, “We were quite sufficient in our per capita water availability during the early decades after independence. Accordingly, Tarbela and Mangla dams were built. “
Pakistan’s economy is propelled mainly by the agriculture and agro-based industry. The era of 60s brought in a green revolution along with focused attention to the industrial sector.
“We, however, in the later decades neglected the basic ingredient on which both these sources were to flourish and that ingredient is WATER! We have adopted a fragmented approach thus hampering the country`s progression. With every passing day the need to build water reservoirs is being felt more than ever,” the president said.
Water availability for agriculture, industry and even for household is depleting and it is apprehended that we may become a water stressed country if remedial measures are not taken.
Addressing the seminar, Supreme Court Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar on Friday said that criminal ignorance was committed while keeping mum over water issue in the past 40 years.
The top court judged said this while addressing a two-day seminar organized by Supreme Court in collaboration with Law and Justice Commission in Islamabad. A law number of experts from across the world attended the seminar and recommended some powerful suggestions.
According to a recent report of Pakistan Council of Research (PCR), Pakistan is on number 23rd among the countries facing water crisis. A total of 33 countries in the world are facing water shortage, the report states.
If Pakistan didn’t take measures to preserve water reservoirs it will face a serious water drought in the next few years.
The chief justice said due to threat of serious drought the Supreme Court initiated collecting funds for the construction of Diamer Basha and Mohmand Dams. He lauded the contribution made by Pakistanis from across the world.
The apex court judge said so far Rs6.37 million have been collected for the construction of dams.
