Our future in jeopardy

You may have heard that Earth is known as ‘Blue Planet’ because almost 75 percent of the Earth’s surface is covered with water. However, the remaining surface has deserts, mountains, nullahs, and many other things. Water is a symbol of life, water is the most important thing in human life and it is impossible to live without it.

According to the Holy Quran, even when there was nothing in the world, water was found on the planet. Water is a blessing of nature. Hazrat Behlol Dana once asked Caliph Haroon Rasheed, “If you are thirsty then how much you will pay for a glass of water.” He immediately replied, “I can give half of my kingdom.”

Experts have warned that Pakistan is suffering from water scarcity. Even now, 85 percent of the country’s population lacks access to clean drinking water. Access to clean drinking water is the biggest problem for people in remote areas of the country. There are dozens of areas where humans and animals are forced to drink water from the same pond.

In Tharparkar (Sindh), Cholistan (Punjab) the situation is worse. Here, some social and religious organizations, Maulana Ilyas Qadri’s Dawat-e-Islami, Jamaat-e-Islami, and Hafiz Saeed’s Khidmat-e-Khalq Foundation have installed dozens of water taps, which are not enough for their needs. In most mountainous areas, people store rainwater in underground bunkers. People have to fetch water from far away to drink, which is a different story.

World Water Day was announced in 1992 on the recommendation of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Since then, Water Day has been celebrated on March 22 all over the world, including Pakistan.

Pakistan is one of the 17 countries in the world suffering from water scarcity. According to official statistics, per capita, water availability in Pakistan has reduced to less than 1,000 cubic metre (CUM) per annum from 5,300 CUM in 1947, which will further reduce to 800 cubic meters by 2025. One can easily estimate the seriousness of the situation.

Groundwater is used for agriculture and drinking in Pakistan, the level of which is rapidly declining. Pakistan is the world’s fourth-largest user of groundwater. Due to overuse, the groundwater level drops by one meter every year. On the other hand, 92 percent of the country’s sewage water flows directly into rivers and canals.

As a result of this mixture, 50 million people are exposed to the toxic effects of arsenic. Every year, 52,000 children die of cholera, diarrhea, and other diseases due to this toxic water. Balochistan is the largest province of Pakistan in terms of area. It has the lowest population but they also do not have access to clean drinking water. The government needs to pay attention in this regard.

A huge amount of water is being wasted in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh. If a proper strategy is formulated, the same water can turn the barren lands green. This will not only make Pakistan self-sufficient in food needs but also help in alleviating poverty. Gwadar, where a new social and economic platform is emerging, also has the biggest problem of water scarcity.

Experts believe that the water scarcity problem in Pakistan is getting worse and the country could face drought by 2025, which can make the field barren. Therefore, a groundwater use policy should be introduced. There is a need to protect groundwater resources in the plains and desert areas, build dams, and prevent water loss. Pakistan’s future is in jeopardy due to water scarcity. The sooner our rulers realize this, it will be better for us.