Indus Basin shrinking at an alarming rate

The water scarcity is a cause of concern for the enormous size of Indus Basin system as its availability is declining at an alarming rate from about 5,000 cubic meters per capita in 1951 to about 1,100 per person currently. The recent World Bank report suggests that the figures are much above the internationally scarcity rate projected to be less than 700 by 2025.
Although household water use is only a few percent of the total, increasing competition for amassing natural resources and continuing degradation of water quality are severely impacting efforts to improve the quality levels for household provision. Unfortunately there is no regular monitoring system to check the quality of drinking water at the source of supply or before use at household level.
The link between water quality and health risk is well established. Inadequate water quality and quantity of potable water and poor sanitation facilities and practices are associated with a host of illness, such as diarrhea, typhoid, intestinal diseases and hepatitis.
Diarrhea and typhoid mortality in children accounts for the bulk of losses, reflecting the vulnerability of children to these killer diseases in infancy. The report further revealed that the total health cost is estimated at Rs 114 billion, or approximately 1.81 percent of the GDP. Striking are the high proportion of costs due to premature child deaths, followed by the mortality impacts of typhoid in older population.
Talking to Business Recorder a senior official of Environment Ministry told this scribe that nothing is being done at any level to address the issue. Every year the Ministry gets ample funds to address the environment issue but one wonders where they go.
He said that currently the country is facing immense environmental degradation along with the climate change impacts. "In the coming years this will badly impact our crops and the health of the population, however everyone was fully aware of these calamities but unfortunately no step is being taken to tackle them", he added.
The recent water shortage is an eye opener for the concerned departments and now they all are making efforts to plug the loophole which cannot be done in the short-term, he added. The official opined that even in Islamabad, which is the capital of the country, a number of issues are impeding water quality.
The filtration plants which were installed in various sectors of the city to provide clean drinking water are either in a shabby condition or are not functioning properly. "Huge amount is being spent on the maintenance of these plants but their performance still leaves a lot to be done to put things urgently in order," the officials added.
Talking to Business Recorder regarding the water shortage in the capital the CDA officials said that the long dry spell has resulted in water shortage. However the authority has planned six small dams in the capital to address the water scarcity. The feasibility report of the projects is available, which would be initiated after preparation of PC-I and allocation of funds, he maintained.