AMONG the multiple sinister objectives of the Pahalgam false flag operation by India, the most menacing is their desire to steal or choke the water of the western rivers, allocated to Pakistan through the Indus Water Treaty (IWT).
As this is a clear and present danger to Pakistan’s survival, the government has rightly termed it as “an act of war” that can abruptly scuttle the present ceasefire and invoke a potential “full spectrum response” by us.
While India has a limited capacity at present to hurt our water rights and we have recently reestablished our deterrence capability to avert or preempt this threat, we must be mindful of the fact that India is a rogue state, habitual of creating new flashpoints and triggers of war for political advantage.
This situation can once again disturb the already fragile regional peace, which warrants a pressing, proactive and concomitant remedial intervention by the US, the UNSC and the World Bank.
Ironically, such actions might now suit India too, as all dams and water reservoirs constructed by it in Indian-held Kashmir have become illegal, disputed, or controversial due to its shortsighted position on the IWT.
Though Pakistan has demonstrated its ‘soft’ reach to disable power generation grid systems inside the Indian mainland, it gives us an additional catalyst to do so, even with kinetic means, if necessary, in Indian-held Kashmir.
But there is another distinct lesson brought out by this episode: the need for Pakistan to undertake a crucial reappraisal of its domestic water management and conservation policies.
This is essential due to our existing water scarcity, increasing population and their growing water needs, an agrarian economy, public ignorance of the consequences of water wastage, inefficient consumption patterns, increased temperatures, Indus River pollution from industrial and agricultural runoff, politicization of water sharing and slow progress on dam construction.
According to some studies, an estimated 30 million acre-feet (MAF) of water from the Indus River flows into the sea annually without utilization.
Additionally, only about 65 MAF of the water diverted for agriculture actually reaches the fields, with 36 MAF lost due to irrigation system inefficiencies.
This results in a total of 66 MAF of water being wasted, causing economic losses of approximately $21 billion annually.
Perhaps this was one of the reasons that propelled the creation of a ‘Dam Fund’ through a Supreme Court ruling in the recent past.
Further, the overuse of groundwater to compensate for surface water scarcity is also contributing to the depletion of underground aquifers.
Climate change is predicted to further strain the Indus River system, leading to irregular rainfall patterns and increased flood risks.
Remedies include the completion and desilting of existing dams at a faster pace, construction of additional large dams at the federal level in a phased programme and small dams, reservoirs and efficient canals at provincial levels, as consensual and vital projects.
The adoption of modern irrigation techniques, better maintenance of canals, investment in wastewater treatment and recycling infrastructure, use of nature-based systems, raising awareness about water conservation, promoting responsible water use practices, implementing water pricing and management policies to discourage over-extraction and reducing pollutants in river bodies are essential measures.
Rainwater harvesting at every level, employing technology to detect leaks, planning for seasonal demand fluctuations and managing urban water resources are also critical.
Dry regions in some provinces could rely on water purchased from neighboring ones.
Like electricity bills, water bills must be computerized to help curb theft.
We must formulate national and provincial water resource plans and implement them through proper budgeting and legislation.
Public and private businesses – as part of their corporate social responsibility – must invest in water conservation projects and support research into water-saving innovations.
Avoiding contamination of water sources, developing new surface and groundwater resources, building conveyance facilities to move water to needed areas and installing desalination plants in coastal regions of Sindh and Balochistan can particularly help in areas lacking freshwater resources.
Small steps in our daily lives—like limiting shower time, storing rainwater at household levels, fixing leaks, using water-efficient fixtures and installing water-saving appliances—can collectively make a big difference.
International best practices like these must be followed to ensure every drop is accounted for.
In his famous book Pakistan: A Hard Country, Anatol Lieven observes: “Pakistan is a troubled state but also a tough one…
the greatest threat to Pakistan isn’t from terrorism but from ecological change.
Pakistani farmers are tough and adaptable, but some areas are likely to suffer disastrous droughts and flooding.
The impending crisis can be ameliorated through harnessing and managing our water resources with a will to take such action.”
Conclusion: If “water is the source of all life,” it deserves not only protection but active harnessing and sustained management.
The government, NGOs, civil society organizations, media houses, academic institutions and politico-religious organizations must be fully involved in awareness drives to educate the public about the broad measures suggested in this treatise.
While the construction of more dams is included in the manifestoes of some political parties, these promises must now be fulfilled to safeguard Pakistan’s agrarian economy, its ecosystem, its development, the well-being of its people and its very existence.
“When the well’s dry, we know the worth of water,” said Benjamin Franklin.
Let’s not wait for this warning to materialize.
In the present milieu, we mustn’t let politics, poor governance, or negligence hinder the flow of our precious water.
We must face all external and internal challenges to it with our recently demonstrated grit and gravitas.
—The writer is the former President of NDU Islamabad. (genraza@yahoo.com)
