RECORDER REPORT

KARACHI: The continuing deficient rainfall has imposed a drought like condition on the most parts of Pakistan, as the country received 45 percent lower rains during January and May 2018.

Thus, a moderate to severe drought gripped rain-cropped (Barani) areas of Punjab, Lower Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, South Punjab, Southeast Balochistan and Southeast Sindh, according to the Met Office’s Drought Alert. “Dry condition was observed in southern parts of the country during the past five months. This dry condition caused water stress in the agriculture areas of the country that demands availability of more supplementary irrigation water for Kharif crops,” the alert says. It warned that water availability in the country’s major reservoirs is low, saying that “small dams [situated near Islamabad] are at critical level and ground water boring and wells become dry [up to the depth of 150 feet] in the most areas of Islamabad and Rawalpindi”.

However, the Met indicated that the water availability in the major dams will improve with the rise of temperature. It advised to all stakeholders for an immediate water management strategy to avoid negative impacts of deficit rainfall on water and agriculture sector.