I REFER to the columns ‘In search of water’ and ‘Earth could become hotter than thought, study warns’ (April 10). No one can deny the importance of water in our lives and in meeting our irrigation needs. The existing storage capacity of all reservoirs is depleting at a fast pace. For example, Hub dam has a storage capacity of 68,700 acre-feet on a catchment area of 300 square miles which has been reduced to the lowest point of 276 feet. Due to the increase in carbon dioxide produced by burning of fossil fuel, the earth‘s temperature could further rise by up to 4.7 degree Celsius.

This is alarming as all our reservoirs including Tarbela, Mangla and Hub dams, can experience a drop in their levels thus further reducing supplies for irrigation and power generation. Hydel experts have said these estimates do not consider the sedimentation factor while determining the water availability in reservoirs.

There is a dire need for building many micro/small dams for the storage of every bit of rain water.

Engr. R.Riaz Akbar

Wah Cantt

Published in Dawn, May 2nd, 2016