ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The federal government is pursuing a comprehensive plan to increase the water storage capacity in the country through construction of water storage project to limit the depleting levels of groundwater.
The Irrigation Department Balochistan has initiated a number of small and medium Dams projects for conservation of Surface/Flood Water flow for recharge of ground water, agriculture development and drinking requirements in various districts of the province.
Feasibility Study for Small and Medium Dams is being conducted through consultants throughout the province (18 River Basins) for identification of 20 potential Dam sites, official sources said.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is providing technical assistance to Balochistan Province for Feasibility Study of Water Resource Development Projects in two Basins including Zhob River Basin, they told APP.
In addition a number of Dams are being implemented through Federal Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) Punjab.
Irrigation Department Punjab, has established the “Groundwater Management Cell”. Data of groundwater levels and quality is being collected twice in a year (pre-monsoon and post-monsoon) by the field offices.
For minimizing the depleting groundwater and save the flood water a pilot project titled “Recharge of Aquifer for Groundwater Management in Punjab” is in progress.
For groundwater regulation in critical areas a draft on “The Punjab Groundwater (Protection, Regulation and Development) Act, 2017” is under process for finalization/approval.
The Sindh government has taken up project of Construction of Small Storage Dams and ISSO Barriers to recharge ground water for utilization for agricultural and domestic purpose.
The groundwater depletion rate is varying from area to area. Groundwater monitoring is being undertaken in irrigated areas lying within Indus Basin.
The annual groundwater depletion being quoted in the question i.e. more than 3 km is actually 3 km 3 (volume of groundwater) and is seconded here based on study conducted by IWASRI, WAPDA (2014).
Whereas for Bari Doab, it was stated that “based on groundwater levels of 2002 and 2012, it is estimated that 23.3 BCM (18.9 MAF) volume of groundwater has been depleted from the aquifer under Bari Doab in 10 years duration, which is equivalent to a groundwater mining of 2.33 BCM (1.89 MAF) per year”.
The figure of 2.33 BCM for Bari Doab is equivalent to 2.33 km. which indicates that overall groundwater depletion in the country could be even more than 3 km.
It would be by increasing surface water for irrigation which will also improve the groundwater recharge, they said.
