Advisor Mega Dam Water and Power Development Authority Engineer Abdul Khailiq Khan said on Wednesday that Pakistan's water storage capability should be increased from 30 days to 90 days by building more storage projects like Diamer Bhasha Dam on top priority.
He was delivering a lecture on Pakistan's Water Issues organised by Pakistan Engineering Congress. President PEC Engineer Chaudhry Ghulam Hussain also expressed his views on this occasion.
He called for strengthening the office of Indus Commission to protect Pakistan's interests in legal battles of Indus Water Treaty. He also called for signing water sharing treaty on Kabul River with Afghanistan.
Khan said water issues were interlinked with investments therefore Pakistan's economy and fiscal issues should be addressed on priority. He said incentives and subsidies should be provided to promote High Efficiency Irrigation Systems such as land levelling, furrow and drip irrigation. He also said irrigation water should be judiciously priced to ensure the O&M and sustainability of water infrastructure.
He suggested lining of water courses minors and canals particularly in saline zones should be carried out, manage ground water mining through legislations to control subsoil water table and aquifer pollution, and dry and salt tolerant variety of crops should be introduced in saline lands.