1 RESTRICTED

A NEED FOR EFFICIENT WATER MANAGEMENT STRATERGY IN PAKISTAN 1. Pakistan is confronted with the problem of expeditious utilization of the water resources and is actually one of the 30 countries facing an acute water deficiency, which is likely to aggravate during the forthcoming decades. Pakistan s present population of 1!! "illion will increase to 1#$.% "illion by year &0&0 1. 't will double by the year &03& to &$( "illion. )o sustain this magnitude of population growth, agriculture will stay our country s back bone and water its lifeblood. *uring years 1###+&001, a water shortage upto 30+!0 , occurred which had serious implications on -abi and .harif crops. )he problem was further compounded by the water+sharing dispute between Pun/ab and 0indh. 0ubse1uently, 234P and 5alochistan Provinces were also involved to a limited extent. )his situation had the latent potential to create inter+provincial disharmony. &. 5y &010, approximately, 3!, of the capacity of )arbela, "angla and 6hashma -eservoirs is likely to be reduced. 3ater disputes are an expected outcome in such environment. )he situation necessitates, an immediate formulation of a wholesome water management strategy including the construction of large dams 7 water storage reservoirs. Aim 3. )o analyse existing water crises with a view to highlighting problem areas and suggesting a viable water management strategy. Scope !. Paper will encompass the areas of water resources in Pakistan, causes and impact of water shortage, the issue7problem areas in 3ater "anagement and necessity of ma/or dams in country. Existing Water Reso rces o! Pa"istan (. Water Reser#oirs. Pakistan s capacity to store surplus flood water is limited to only 1%.3( "84, i.e. only about 10, total available surface and ground water. 9ven this capacity has been decreased by &(, due to silting of dams &. :n the other hand, the available surface water has a vast seasonal variation, as about %!, flows in summer, as, against only 1;, in winter. 8part from devastation of floods every five years on

RESTRICTED

& RESTRICTED

the average, a large 1uantity of water goes unused to the sea down past .otri barrage. 3e are nowhere in water storage in relation to other agriculture based countries. ;. S r!ace Water Reso rces. :f the total available annual flow of 1!! "84 in the 'ndus 5asin, 10( "84 is already being used through 1# barrages with !( canal systems above and below rim stations. 8verage annual escapeges below the .otri 5arrage going to the sea are 3( "84 3.
SURFACE WATER SUPPLIES SURFACE WATER CONSUMPTION

$. Gro n$ Water Reso rces. %. G%aciers an$ Sno&'

)he natural storage of ground water is tapped to

bridge the gap between supply and demand. )he ground water abstraction is !1.; "84. <laciers and snow melt contribution is %( percent in the case of 'ndus, %0 percent for .abul, $( percent for 6henab and slightly over (0 percent for =helum -iver. 't is estimated that the total volume of water stored in the glacial area of 'ndus -iver is about 3!0 "84, while the volume of water stored in glacialized area of .abul, 6henab and =helum -ivers is 300 "84.

RESTRICTED

3 RESTRICTED

C rrent (ses #. )he re1uirements of water can be divided into four categories, i.e. agriculture, domestic, industry and ecological. <lobally agriculture re1uires $3, of the fresh water, industry &1, and domestic7public use is ; ,. 8griculture is the ma/or user of both the surface and ground water resources of Pakistan and single largest employer. )he total power generation capacity in Pakistan is 1$,$1& "ega 3atts >"3?, which comprises $0, thermal, &%, hydel and &, nuclear. )he present generation capacity of hydel and thermal is &%@$0, which is almost the reverse of an ideal hydel+thermal mix, which should be $0@&%. )he present estimated domestic use of water for urban sector is 3.& "84, where as for industrial use it is 1.1 "84. "ost urban water is supplied from ground water except for the cities of .arachi, Ayderabad and part of the supply to 'slamabad, which use surface water. )he total urban demand is expected to increase to about 1&.1 "84 in &0&(. 't has been observed that wastage of water in the urban water system is very high and ranges between 30 to !0, in some cities. )he present domestic water use in rural areas is estimated to be 0.% "84. )he demand for drinking water in rural areas is expected to increase to 3.& "84 by &0&(. 'n Pakistan water consumed in industrial sector is about 1.1% "84 per year. )he industrial demand is expected to increase to 1.%! "84 by &0&(. Ca ses o! Water S)ortage 10. )o understand the magnitude of the water shortage and its impact in future, a. b. c. d. Bow -ainfall 7 0now 4all!. -eduction in 0torage 6apacity. 'ncrease in 6ropping 'ntensity and 6ropped 8rea. )he increase in population is surely raising demand for increased water re1uirement. e. f. g. 6hanging 6rops Pattern. 9ffects of Crbanization7 'ndustrialization. 8bsence of -ecycling of used water. some of the causes@+

RESTRICTED

! RESTRICTED

11.

Impact o! Water S)ortage a. b. c. -eduction in 6rops. 9ffects on Crbanization 7 'ndustries. Gro n$ Water. 0hortage of surface water has put tremendous pressure on ground water. )he draw down phenomenon is being observed and water table has gone down. d. E!!ect on Nationa% *armon+' 3ater shortage is creating bitter controversy between provinces, which is affecting national integration and creating disharmony between provinces.

Iss es an$ Pro,%em Areas 1&. Interna% Discor$s amongst t)e Pro#inces . )his problem is accentuated due to three ma/or reasons and has very serious implications. )he points of contention includes@+ .a Constr ction o! -arge Dams. )his has become essential because existing dams are loosing their storage capacity rapidly, warranting immediate construction of new reservoirs. )here are serious differences on the construction of large dams amongst the provinces. .b Domestic Water S)aring. *omestic water sharing of e1uitable apportionment of water amongst provinces has been unresolved for a very long time. 8lthough the problem has been well settled in water accord of 1##1 but still apprehensions are raised for its strict implementation and about sharing of water losses by the provinces. .c Escapages ,e%o& Kotri. )he need for minimum escapage to sea, below .otri to check sea intrusion was recognized and established. 0indh wants increased inflow in 'ndus -iver below .otri where as, Pun/ab emphasizes that 3( "84( water is lost to sea which should be made use of by storing it in the reservoirs. 13. A,sence o! *o%istic. Integrate$ an$ S staine$ Approac) . )here is a need to remove all the legislative and regulatory, and institutional constraints on water development, distribution, delivery, operation and maintenance

RESTRICTED

( RESTRICTED

1!.

Extensi#e Seepage -osses in t)e Irrigation S+stem .

*ue to inade1uate

drainage system Pakistan is facing problems of water logging and salinity. 5esides there have been watercourse losses of around !(, which is contributing to overall water shortage in the country. 1(. Re$ ction in Capacit+ o! Ma/or Reser#oirs . 8 high rate of sedimentation is a serious problem affecting the storage capacity of our ma/or dams. )he pro/ected reduction in capacity is likely to go high in future. Nee$ !or -arge Dams0 1;. 'n view of the sharply rising demand for water and limited potential for surface water, need for optimal utilization of existing water resources can not be over emphasized. )he most important is the construction of water reservoirs, which is urgently needed. 0ome of the compelling reasons for construction of large size dams are@+ a. b. c. d. e. 1$. -e1uirement to produce cheap hydroelectric power. -apidly increasing population. *epleting storage facilities. Barge escapages of uncontrolled flood flow in the sea. 9very new mega dam will add !+(, to Pakistan s <*P $.

6onstruction of proposed dams is resisted on one or other pretext and each

province has few apprehensions. <overnment has conducted detailed study of various sites and have found appropriate answer to each apprehension. Appre)ensions o! NWFP an$ Sin$) 1 1%. NWFP Appre)ensions Fact a% Position a. Possibility of flooding of 2owshera a. )he problem can be overcome with help of )own and Peshawar valley in modern flood warning sys. case of unprecedented flood. b. *rainage of "ardan, Pabbi and b. 6onservation level of .alabagh *am is #1( ft 0wabi will be adversely affected. which is lower than the lowest ground level of "ardan, Pabbi and 0wabi scarp areas. c. 4ertile cultivated land would be c. &,#00 acres of barani land and only 100 acres

RESTRICTED

; RESTRICTED

submerged d. Barge population would

of irrigated land would be submerged in the reservoir. be d. -esettlement plan would ensure proper compensation to the affectees.

displaced. 1#. Sin$) Appre)ensions a. 2o water is available for filling a.

Fact a% Position 8verage annual outflow below .otri is

.alabagh reservoir. 3!.$ "84. b. 0indh would be converted into a b. 8fter "angla and )arbela *ams, 0indh desert. 6anal withdrawals increased about $ "84. 6anal withdrawals for 0indh would further increase by & "84 after .alabagh. c. -iverine area would go out of c. 4lood peaks in excess of 300,000 cusecs production. would still be coming. 8ssured water supply through proposed tube wells will d. 'ndus delta mangrove forest would d. vanish. be made round the year. :nly $,000 acres out of &,#!,000 acres mangrove forest are in 'ndus active delta established through satellite imagery. 2o significant impact is expected as minimum re1uired water >as per latest e. 4ish production below .otri would be affected. g. -oyalty from .alabagh would go to Pun/ab although the pro/ect would be federally funded. &0. Gen Appre)ensions a. *esilting of )arblea instead of a. )ech people say that, its not a practical building .alabagh *am. option. b. 0aving of water through brick b. )his may help to some extent but overall studies? will still be flowing below .otri. e. 2o evidence established. g. 't is a constitutional matter which can be resolved through council of common interest.

RESTRICTED

$ RESTRICTED

lining of canals. Conc% sions &1. "a/or conclusions of the study include@+ .a

available of during different seasons will not improve.

Pakistan is approaching the situation of chronic water stress which has created a situation of water crises in the country and deepened the inter+provincial water conflicts.

.b

5eside the re1uirement of huge amount of resources, consensus amongst the various provinces on construction of various water reservoirs are re1uired which could also be used for the generation of hydro electricity.

.c

0ince 1#$;+$$ the average amount of water escaping to the sea exceeds !! 56" which is 1uite excessive and the non+availability of sufficient storage reservoirs for regulating the flood supplies of river has been the main factor behind that.

.d

"a/or water issues include low water storage capacityD absence of holistic approach to water development, widespread seepage lossesD inade1uate operations and maintenanceD excessive ground water pumpage, deteriorating institutional capacity and the une1ual water distribution.

.e

3ith the system of telemetry and implementation of the 1##1 3ater 8ccord in a transparent way, would help in ensuing each of the provinces that construction of dams would not /eopardize their share of water.

.f

)he dams also involve the displacement of the population and there could be problems of flooding and seepage. )hese need to be effectively tackled.

.g

)hrough improvement of water courses, there will be water saving of about ;.% "84.

RESTRICTED

% RESTRICTED

.h

)he construction of proposed dams will provide cheap hydro electricity to the consumers and the desirable e1uation of $0@30 between hydro+thermal power generations is expected to be achieved.

.i RECOMMENDATIONS &&.

9very new dam is likely to increase our <*P by !+(,.

)he issue of storage, apportionment and management of water is grave in

nature, fol are offered for whole some resolution of the problem@+ a. P%anning an$ Strateg+. 4uture policy planning and strategy formulation

should consider the formulation of a 2ational 3ater Policy to address various issues and provide guidance on use of water resources. b. Inter Pro#incia% *armon+. 91uity in water distribution should be ensured through water sharing formula. 3ater 8ccord 1##1 must be observed religiously. 'nstitutional reforms for better co+ordination and management should be undertaken. 38P*8 has recently installed a )elemetry 0ystem which should be trusted and made use of. c. Management o! Existing Water Reso rces. 0pecial "onitoring )eams

should be deputed to monitor legal distribution of water at important barrages7reservoirs i.e. 6hashma, )aunsa, <uddu, 0ukkur, .otri, "angla and Pan/nad until the water situation improves. d. Constr ction o! M %ti2p rpose Water Storage Dams . )here are several possible dams that could be built, namely .alabagh, 5asha, 0akardu, 8korhi and "unda. 9ach has multiple advantages and connected disadvantages. 4ollowing is recommended@+ >1? )he construction of a second batch of reservoirs should be started immediately. )o meet the criteria of "aximum storage capacity, "inimum cost, "aximum power generation and no silting with due

RESTRICTED

# RESTRICTED

respect to public opinion, the .atzara+0kardu *am is the best option recommended for constructions. >&? 4easibility study of .alabagh *am earlier conducted in 1#%! needs to be updated and after removal of prevailing apprehensions, the construction of .alabagh *am can commence in phase+& of the plan. >3? >!? >(? 'n a given circumstances, 5hasha *am with higher potential is much better than .alabagh *am. 3henever a dam is built, preference should be given to lower riparian provinces than filling of dams. )o ensure re1uired escapages at .otri 5arrage to check sea water intrusion, accommodate the need for fisheries and environmental sustainability, it is recommended that 3.; "84 per year below .otri 5arrage must be ensured, beside this &( "84 once in five years. e. Water Co rse Management. )he Provincial 'rrigation *epartment may be advised to consider updating the water distribution rules designed about a century ago and efficient water course management should be practised. 4armers may be regularly motivated maintenance of the water course. f. On Farm Water Management. 4or reducing the losses measures like brick lining of the water courses, precision land levelling , the modern methods of irrigation and construction of on farm storage should be introduced. g. Data,ase an$ In!ormation. 8 well planned information management and dissemination system should be set up at 38P*8 and its networking should be made with 'nternational database on water. h. Researc). 0trong linkage between research, development, and the user organizations should be established to benefit from each other experiences. -esearch on minimization of evaporation losses, recycling of agricultural and civil effluents, re/uvenation of sandy deserts and water production functions should be undertaken on priority basis. to carryout the

RESTRICTED

10 RESTRICTED

/.

*+$ro E%ectric Po&er Generation. )he effort should be undertaken for the generation of &%,&!0 "3, untapped hydro power potential in the private sector. 'nvolvement of 'PPs in shape of investments in hydro electric power generation pro/ects, with lucrative incentives from the government side, can change the overall situation.

k.

Misce%%aneo s >1? )he duty of water for perennial and non perennial irrigation systems should be revised on the basis of soil, water climate and productivity potential factors. >&? )he crop zoning system should be introduced to get optimum water use efficiency and economic benefits from water sector. >3? <round water monitoring and evaluation programme should be developed for sustainable use. >!? Private water resource development7installation of tube wells should be encouraged in a manner that the farmers of the areas with sweet under ground should be given relaxation in electricity tariff. >(? 6reate water basin councils with private and public partnership in order to protect watersheds.

Conc% sion &3. 3ater resources of Pakistan are limited and need better management. )he

economy of Pakistan is agriculture based and demands better utilization of the available water resources. 0uccessive governments in the past have been grappling with the water problem but could not reach a viable decision for construction of much needed water storage facilities. Policy makers have rightly identified the need for construction of larger dams to sustain the agro based economy and generate the cheap hydro electric

RESTRICTED

11 RESTRICTED

power for propulsion of growing industry. -ecently announced package for construction of water reservoirs has by and large addressed various apprehensions of the multiple stake holders and with more crystallized 7 impartial approach, the decisions will prove more beneficial and long lasting in the history of the country.

RESTRICTED

9ngineer *r Eafar 8ltaf F2ational 6onsultation on 3aterG Pakistan 9ngineer 6ouncil 6onference held in P6 Izhar ul Aa1 *r, 5arrages and *ams in Pakistan, Pakistan 9ngineer 6ouncil 1##0. *r 2azir F3ater -esources of Pakistan "ira/ ud *in, Press Bahore, 0ep &003. -etrospect of Pakistan 8griculture by 0ardar -iaz p( and !;. "ukhtar 8hmed .han F3ater 6rises F 8 Problem of "ismanagement.

5hurban, =un 3, &00&.

2 3 4 5 6 7

Pakistan 3apda 8nnual -eport 1###+&000. 3apda Hision &00( Programme. 8 2ore/o 8ziz, 8 6ase 8gainst .alabagh, =an &00(.