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Sunday, November 10, 2024  
07 Jumada Al-Awwal 1446  

Pakistan facing extreme water scarcity: PEC

- File photo - File photo

President Pakistan Engineering Congress, (PEC) Chaudhry Ghulam Hussain has said that Pakistan has been facing with extreme water scarcity from 5000 cubic meters in 1950 to 1000 cubic meters in 2016 and is visualized to slide further.

Pakistan's rank is 32 with 4.31 score in countries facing water stress. It is due to the lack of government's interest in building adequate storage capacity and control structures.

He was addressing the seminar on " Join the Race to Make the World a Better Place" organized by Pakistan Engineering Congress in connection with the World Water Day on Saturday.

The seminar was addressed by former secretary irrigation Punjab Riaz Ahmad Khan and Vice President PEC Dr Izhar-ul-Haq.

Ghulam Hussain said that Pakistan has failed to construct any sizable reservoir in more than 30 years. It has only 30 days storage facility as compared to 220 days in India and 1000 days in Egypt.

He also said that it has been estimated agriculture production is required to be enhanced by 70% globally and 50% in Pakistan to feed the growing population, alleviate poverty and above all to bring more lands under cultivation.

He said that it is the need of the hour that we should focus on constructing mega reservoirs, canals and small dams.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2016