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QUETTA, Nov 10 (APP):Commissioner Quetta Division, Shahzaib Khan Kakar has declared a water emergency in the provincial capital and called for immediate and decisive action.
Chairing a high-level review meeting on the Quetta Urban Water Security Policy, the Commissioner emphasized the urgent need to address the city’s rapidly depleting underground water reserves and ensure access to clean drinking water.
Commissioner Shahzaib Kakar directed the concerned committee to finalize the Water Security Policy without delay so it can be presented to the Provincial Cabinet for approval and swift implementation.
He stressed the importance of executing short-term and long-term strategies simultaneously to mitigate the crisis.
“The capacity of existing dams must be increased, and new recharge points must be prioritized. Without recharge points, dams lose their utility,” Commissioner Shahzeb Khan Kakar said.
He also cited climate change and declining rainfall as key factors worsening the crisis.
The meeting reviewed a comprehensive three-phase strategy to tackle the emergency.
In Phase I, immediate action would be taken and launched crackdown on car wash centers and illegal tube wells, enforce legal compliance, and curb water wastage.
In the Phase II, construction of delay dams, installation of pipelining infrastructure, enhancement of water management systems and and creation of recharge points.
Phase III, optimization and expansion of existing recharge zones to restore underground water levels.
Commissioner Kakar noted that floodwater conservation through dam construction would activate recharge points and improve aquifer sustainability.
The meeting also explored water recycling solutions, including the use of treated water for agriculture. A proposal was tabled to construct 100 small water treatment plants across Quetta to support sustainable water management.
Commissioner Shahzaib Khan Kakar instructed the committee to compile a comprehensive report within one week, ensuring the policy is ready for Cabinet review and rapid deployment.