(27th November 2015)
President Pakistan Businessmen & Intellectuals Forum (PBIF), All Karachi Industrial Alliance and First Vice Chairman of the Businessmen Panel of FPCCI Mian Zahid Hussain on Friday said looming water crisis is a big threat to the survival of the country which calls for immediate action.
Water scarcity continue to increase but policymakers remained unconcerned as allocation for the development of water resources in the ongoing fiscal have been cut by almost Rs 15 billion which is disappointing, it said.
Different national and international institutions have repeatedly warned government about water crisis but to no avail, said President PBIF.
He said that there is no water policy in the country which is adding to the problems of water sector ignored since long.
Mian Zahid Hussain said that River Indus satisfy 65 percent needs of the agricultural sector which get 80 percent of water from glaciers that are melting rapidly.
The third largest water resource in the world is going down by 30 to 50 meters per annum due to climate change which calls for urgent steps.
Senator Haji Ghulam Ali Haji Ghulam Ali, Presidential Candidate of Businessmen Panel (BMP) for FPCCI while addressing the Business Community, said that upraising of Mangla Dam saved country from drought but more needs to be done otherwise all investments in social and economic sectors will become useless.
Water scarcity will not only damage population, agriculture and industry but also lead country to tensions between provinces and a civil war, but INSHALLAH after winning the FPCCI Election, this issue will be addressed and attended to, he concluded.
