Senate Standing Committee discusses national water policy, groundwater depletion & budget allocations

ISLAMABAD, August 30 (SABAH): A meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Water Resources chaired by Senator Shahadat Awan was held on Friday at Parliament House.

The Committee expressed displeasure over the irresponsible behavior of the Ministry regarding the directions rendered in its previous meeting and the letter written thereof. The Committee engaged in an in-depth discussion on the collaboration between provincial and federal governments in implementing the National water policy. The Committee Members raised questions about sanitation and other regulatory concerns related to water resources. The Minister of Water Resources clarified that many of these concerns do not fall under the jurisdiction of the Ministry. He further stated that the draft regulatory framework of certain matters related to the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) has been assigned to the Ministry of Interior.

The Secretary of Water Resources also mentioned that the Ministry frequently intervenes in provincial water operations. Although its legal involvement is limited, however, the Ministry’s practical influence is significant in this regard. The Secretary further briefed the Committee on groundwater depletion in Pakistan, and the instruments used for data collection. Map from the WAPDA Observation Wells Network and the Punjab Irrigation Department’s piezometer readings were presented to the Committee members. Similarly, the groundwater situation in Punjab, as reported by WAPDA, was also shared, noting that waterlogging is now decreasing. The Minister (Water Resources) further emphasized that groundwater depletion in Punjab is alarmingly increasing.

Additionally, the groundwater situation in Sindh and Balochistan, as reported by WAPDA, was discussed, with the Secretary noting that waterlogging is also decreasing in Sindh as well. It was also noted that two cities in Punjab are currently in a critical situation. The Secretary emphasized that the persistent water depletion in Punjab may lead to a catastrophe.

The Minister also highlighted that 40 percent of electricity is generated from water resources by the Ministry. He stated that the Ministry has been involved in building dams, installing telemetry systems, and overseeing the entire development budget.

The Chairman of the Committee stressed upon this critical issue that requires immediate attention and action. Furthermore, the Committee discussed the budgetary allocation to the Ministry for the years 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 with head-wise breakup, and its utilization.  The additional Secretary reported that the K-4 Greater Water Supply Scheme costs 126,404,75 million and the entire allocated budget is 30,000 million.

The meeting was attended by Senator Hidayatullah Khan, Senator Faisal Saleem Rahman, Senator Mohammad Humayun Mohmand, Senator Poonjo Bheel, the Minister for Water Resources, The Secretary of the Ministry of Water Resources, The Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Water Resources, and other senior officials of concerned departments.