The current dry weather spell would generate more than the previously estimated 17 percent water shortage in the country with serious negative implications on Rabi crop output, especially wheat and gram. Dr Ghulam Rasul Director General (DG) Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) in an exclusive chat with Business Recorder said that the country will face additional water shortage than the earlier announced 17 percent adding that the current dry weather is likely to prevail in the month of January.
"The PMD had earlier forecast that dry weather will prevail till the end of December but according to our fresh study the country will face the same weather conditions in January", he said adding that country will receive only one or two light rain spells in some parts that include Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), upper parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Gilgit Baldistan (GP) next month.
A senior official of Ministry of National Food Security and Research (MNFS&R) while talking to Business Recorder said that the current dry weather would have serious negative impact on the output of Rabi crops especially wheat, gram and others especially in the rain-fed areas of the country which produce 10 percent of total wheat production; he however added that the dry spell will also negatively impact on wheat production in irrigated areas.
The official said that the government has set wheat production target at 26.01 million tons for Rabi sowing season 2016-17 from an area of 9.12 million hectares. Out of 26.01 million tons, Punjab is projected to produce 19.51 million tons, Sindh 4.2 million tons, Khyber Pakhtunkhawa 1.4 million tons and Balochistan 0.9 million tons, he told. An advisory issued by Pakistan Metrological department to farmers' states, "keeping in view the present and expected dry atmospheric/soil conditions following advices are proposed farming community especially for rained areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab. Farmers obtaining crop water through tube wells are advised to schedule the irrigation as per crop requirement.
Farmers of irrigated areas should irrigate the crop as per requirement in accordance with the prevailing weather conditions. Normally first irrigation is given 20-25 days after sowing. Farmers are also advised to cultivate winter vegetables in time. "In areas like Potohar Region and adjoining areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where rain water storages are available farmers are advised to irrigate crops by using available irrigation methods like sprinkler irrigation etc.
"Removing weeds from the standing crops is very important as weeds utilise moisture and food which are to be utilised by the crop. As a result considerable loss in yield occurs every year". Dr Waseem Khawaja, Pakistan's Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), when contacted said that the ongoing dry spell has led an increase in the number of patients by 50 per cent; he cautioned that diseases in this dry weather can instantly cause death if not treated on time.
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