QUETTA: Various parts of Balochistan are hit with drought and severe water-shortage.
According to the report, the underground water in Quetta and other Baluchistan’s areas is declining to an alarming level.
The details say that Balochistan’s capital Quetta and surrounding districts of Mastung, Pishin, Kharan, Nushki, Killa Abdullah and Chaghi are struck with an immense shortage of water.
The experts say that the water level underground is declining 3 to 4 feet every year.
The water-shortage in the province has made the barren lands on thousands of acres.
The report makes a shocking disclosure that Quetta and the surroundings used to provide 20 percent of total agricultural products in the past.
But now that productivity is reduced to less than 10 percent. In order to reach to the water level in most part of Quetta, people have to carry out boring from 700 to 1000 feet.
As many as 30,000 tube wells are installed in Quetta and surrounding, but half of them is not even registered in official record.
These tube wells are pumping out the underground water which causes the shortage of water in the various parts of the city.
The experts have also revealed their worries over the severe crisis caused by the shortage of water in Balochistan.
They believe that if the government and the concerned department do not take the timely measures.
Quetta and the surrounding areas may become completely barren and infertile in the near future.
It is worth mentioning that unlike other Pakistani provinces, Balochistan lacks the river water supply.
Balochistan areas are supplied with the water with the dams and the canal links from Sindh.
With the growing shortage of the underground water, the crisis can raise to a drought level that will be more than expected.
The Balochistan government and the concerning departments have to be vigilant to tackle with the water challenge.
