Here’s How Much Money Pakistan Has Lost Due to Poor Water Storage Facilities

Pakistan has incurred a loss of $600 billion during the last 44 years due to inadequate water storage facilities in the country.

It was revealed by Chairman IRSA, Rao Irshad Ali Khan, during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Water Resources.

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According to Chairman IRSA, during the previous 44 years, other countries have progressed while Pakistan has regressed and wasted water worth $600 billion.

In 1976, Pakistan’s total water storage capacity was 15.7 MAF, which now stands at 13.6 MAF.

On the other hand, Pakistan’s annual water flow is 144 MAF, 70% of which comes during summers. However, most of the water is wasted due to insufficient storage capacity in the country.

Chairman IRSA said the construction of Mohmand and Diamer Basha dams would augment the water storage capacity of the country, adding that several small dams are also being constructed in all provinces.

During the meeting, Senator Usman Kakar noted that most of the land from Kohat to Tank remains barren due to the absence of a canal system in the province.

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Senator Sirajul Haq lamented the lack of progress over the installation of a telemetry system for the fair distribution of water among all provinces.

In response, Chairman IRSA said the previous telemetry system worth $450 million did not prove efficient and the authority has prepared the PC-I for the installation of a new telemetry system.