ISLAMABAD, Dec 10 (APP): Federal Minister for Water and Power Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Thursday urged the policy-makers of the water and power to draft a comprehensive plan on scarcity of water issues.
Long term solution of internal and external water issues, with the provinces and neighboring country would be sought on priority, he stated this while addressing a seminar on draft of 1st ever “National Water Policy” here on Thursday.
“I raised the issue before the World Bank and asked their involvement to resolve the water crisis with the India”, he stated.The minister urged the public to stop the unnecessary use of
the important resource of water, one of the basic essential for human survival.
He also urged to launch a massive campaign at all level, including villages, cities, schools, through awareness campaigns to avoid misuse of water.
There is need to start a training of children at nursery level about the utilization of their national resources, the minister said.
He said there is also a enormous shortage of drinking water in Karachi and added that negligence in the use of Manchar Lake water supply resulted in water shortage in the respective and adjoining areas.
The minister also urged media to play their role in resolving the grave issue of water scarcity.Asif Khawaja rejected the impression that water shortage issue may
be aggravated in the country and said mismanagement of resources are
causing problems.
The water is tax free therefore it is being wastage, he said adding that the land lords and farmers are not using the natural resource properly.Earlier the Federal Secretary of Water and Power Mohammad Younus Dagha said the ministry has taken conscious efforts to focus on water issue.
The ministry, he said, made a concerted effort in the stakeholder with in the country and the external partners to channelize the resources toward meeting the challenging conditions in the water sector.
He said Pakistan has been suffering persistently from massive floods and droughts in South, which had exacerbated with the climate change patterns.
The secretary assured to identify the challenges in the water sector and chart the way forward through a well-articulated National Water Policy.Chairman WAPDA, Zafar Mahmood in his opening remarks said that the water issue is common among all countries of the world, not only between Pakistan and India.
He said the present government is effectively engaged in resolving the issue of water and energy on priority basis.The speakers at the seminar urged the nation to be careful in the
excessive use of water. There is a need to change behavior patron rather than the demand of more water, they urged.
A large number of think-tanks, members of the ministry of water and power and other institutions were participated in the event.
