PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Water Resources Commission has stressed the need for conservation of groundwater on which the province is heavily dependent.

The commission, formed for protection, preservation and effective management of the province’s water resources under National Water Policy, held its maiden meeting here on Wednesday with Chief Minister Mahmood Khan in the chair.

The commission’s inaugural meeting also coincided with World Water Week, which is being observed from August 23 to 27.

The meeting was also attended by provincial ministers Taimur Saleem Jhagra, Mohibullah Khan and Kamran Bangash besides Chief Secretary Dr Kazim Niaz and other officials.

A statement said that the meeting was briefed about the implementation of KP Water Act, 2020 and other issues related to conservation of water.

CM terms formation of commission major achievement

The meeting was informed that province was allocated a total of 8.7 million acres feet of water in the Water Accord, 1991; however, it was only utilising 5.97 MAF annually, with 2.81 million going unutilised due to lack of infrastructure, planning and inefficiencies of the department concerned.

The meeting was also informed that the province needed to safeguard its water resources investments, in particular from western river basins.

The 21-member commission has been constituted under KP Water Act, 2020 and is headed by the chief minister.

The commission will make all policy decisions for conserving, redistributing and augmenting water resources in the province; allocating water resources for different purposes; and ensuring proper use of water resources. The commission will meet at least once every six months.

The meeting was told that KP Water Regulatory Authority was established to implement the policy decisions of the commission and regulate all the matters related to water resources.

The Water Regulatory Authority will also work as working group of the commission’s for policy formulation.

The provincial government has also designed an integrated water resource management plan, which focuses on social, economic, environmental and technical aspects of management of water resources.

Similarly, Rivers Protection Act has been enacted to protect the water resources and save the rivers from pollution.

The meeting was informed that framing of a number of bylaws and regulations under Water Act, 2020 was in progress and necessary amendments were made in the rules of business of all the departments concerned to identify and assign responsibilities to the relevant entities with regard to better and efficient management of water resources.

The participants of the meeting were briefed about the current situation of water in the province, climate change, importance of water resources in socio-economic development and other matters related to water commission.

The chief minister termed formation of the commission a major achievement of the government.

He said that the commission would prove to be a milestone in preservation of water resources in accordance with National Water Policy.

Published in Dawn, August 26th, 2021