Water crisis: Going dry
In the aftermath of the catastrophic 1935 earthquake and during the British rule, Quetta city was designed for a limited population. However, according to Dr Kaleemullah Khan, the mayor of Quetta, the population of this mountain-ringed city has jumped to around three million. This escalation has given rise to a number of problems including water scarcity which has become a serious issue in Quetta and its surrounding areas and is increasing day-by-day, with protests and demonstrations becoming the order of the day.
Environmentalists have been warning about severe scarcity of water, droughts and floods in Quetta and other parts of Balochistan in the future. They fear mass-migration from Quetta city if the government fails to build or delays the construction of dams or does not monitor dams to maintain the depleting water table. Experts believe that water table in Quetta is being depleted at a rate of 10 to 12 feet per annum.
“That is a dangerous level for water depletion,” says Dr Pervez Amir, a well-known environmentalist. “Until rainwater is preserved, the scarcity issue cannot be addressed,” Amir added, speaking at a seminar organised by Pakistan Water Partnership to prepare recommendations for the government in regard to growing water scarcity at the Quetta Press Club.
Changing weather conditions due to climate change demand prompt action for preservation of rainwater
Speakers at the seminar termed water as one of the strategic issues and advised the government to take effective measures to stop water wastage by constructing dams.
“Construction of dams to check wastage of water is integral,” suggested Sardar Mohammad Tariq, an environmentalist. In the recent years, Quetta and other parts of Balochistan have experienced torrential rains. Due to climate change, the rain pattern has changed. “Previously there were three or four spells of showers during the monsoon season but now we have sudden, violent rainfall or no rainfall for months,” Faiz Kakar, the Chief of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Balochistan pointed out. “There has to be an effective mechanism to save torrential rainwater,” he said.
Mud-cracks have also appeared on the land in Killi Sofi area of Kuchlak some 25km away from Quetta. Dr Din Mohammad, a well-known geologist links the mud-cracks to water scarcity and the growing challenge of climate change. “Excessive use of underground water causes cracks on the land surface,” Kakar said, adding that these occur mostly in sediment that was once saturated with water. Abandoned river channels, floodplain muds, and dried ponds are localities where mud-cracks form.