LAHORE: Pakistan’s per capita water availability has gone down to 908 cubic metre in 2017 which was 5,260 cubic metre in 1951, according to a senior official of the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda).

“Rapid increase in population is the major contributing factor behind this phenomenon. So the country needs to construct more dams to enhance its water storage capacity to cope with the water requirements,” Wapda’s Adviser (Diamer-Bhasha Dam) Dr Izharul Haq said while giving a briefing on the water sector to a delegation of the National Security Workshop of the National Defence University (NDU) here on Friday.

The delegation was headed by NDU chief instructor Rear Admiral Zain Zulfiqar and comprised senators, MNAs, MPAs, senior bureaucrats, technocrats, ambassadors, senior military officers and representatives of the civil society. Wapda Member (Power) Muhammad Arshad Chaudhry, Member (Water) Syed Riaz Ali Shah, Secretary Amer Ahmad and other senior officers were also present on the occasion.

Dr Haq said an additional 20 million acres could be brought under irrigated agriculture if water was made available by constructing more dams.

“About 29 million acre feet (MAF) of water runs below Kotri Barrage every year on an average,” he said, adding that Pakistan could store only 10pc of its annual flows, sufficient for 30 days only.

He said Wapda was presently constructing six hydropower projects with a cumulative generation capacity of about 4,800 megawatts, of which three with generation capacity of about 2,500MW could be completed between early 2018 and mid 2018 in a phased manner.

“These include Golen Gol, Neelum-Jhelum and Tarbela 4th Extension hydropower projects. Another seven projects with gross water storage capacity of more than 10MAF and power generation capacity of more than 16,000MW are ready for construction, including Diamer-Bhasha Dam, Mohmand Dam, Dasu Stage II, Tarbela 5th Extension and Bunji,” he maintained.

In another briefing given by Pakistan Electric Power Company General Manager (Revenue and Commercial Operation) Muhammad Saleem on power sector, the delegation was informed about reforms, existing power generation capabilities, generation mix, consumption patterns, line losses, receivables and circular debt. The delegation was also apprised of the government’s efforts to improve the situation and overcome electricity shortages in the country.

The delegation was also informed of the load forecast, generation additions and long-term transmission expansion plan to evacuate electricity from the power houses and supply it to the distribution companies.

Published in Dawn, October 7th, 2017