Pakistan is hit hard by a chronic water shortage as a searing summer heatwave drains vital reservoirs, imperiling agriculture and drinking water supplies. With record highs and light rains, water reservoirs in the country’s biggest dams are at record lows.
Khanpur Dam on Brink of Dryness
The Khanpur Dam, the lifeline for irrigation and drinking water for Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has a mere 9.67 feet of water above its dead level left. Recent accounts indicate a drastic fall, with the water levels falling from 1,982 feet to 1,919 feet, reaching dangerously close to the dead level of 1,910 feet.
Severe Water Shortages Looming
Since it has only 25 days of water, already the dam has halted irrigation water to Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, drying up canals and orchards in Khanpur. The Capital Development Authority (CDA) is also getting a cut supply of 50 cusecs and, if the current 25 cusecs inflow continues, it will be cut to zero.
Increasing Water Shortage Compromises Major Cities
The dam itself, however, was releasing 103 cusecs, worsening the shortage and accelerating the depletion of its dwindling reserves. Authorities say unless it receives immediate rains, Islamabad and Rawalpindi would be slipping into a critical drinking water shortage, affecting millions of its inhabitants.
A Looming Emergency for Agriculture and Livelihoods
“This is not an environmental crisis—it’s a complete emergency,” cautioned a top water management official. Drought has already destroyed Khanpur’s agriculture-based economy, fruit trees and crops have been destroyed beyond repair.
Emergency Action Needed to Prevent Disaster
As the water situation in Pakistan deteriorates, the government has to take immediate conservation and seek additional sources of water to avoid the catastrophic depletion. It is only a warning that sustainable water management has to be put in place in an attempt to secure the future of the nation.