- Title: PAKISTAN: PAKISTAN FACING CRITICAL WATER SHORTAGES AS DRY-SPELL CONTINUES.
- Date: 20th March 2001
- Summary: LARKANA, PAKISTAN (MARCH 19, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. LV: WIDE OF RIVER WITH DECREASED LEVEL OF WATER (2 SHOTS) 0.14 2. GV: BOY DRIVING LIVESTOCK 0.22 3. LV: PARTIALLY DRIED UP RIVER WITH LIVESTOCK (2 SHOTS) 0.33 4. CU: (SOUND BITE) (Sindhi) UNIDENTIFIED LOCAL FARMER SAYING: "We are suffering a lot here, there is no water for us and the livestock ... it is now third consecutive year that there is no water." 0.45 5. GV: BOY POURING WATER FROM PITCHER IN VILLAGE 0.53 6. GV: WIDE OF A HOUSE 0.55 7. MCU: (SOUNDBITE) (Sindhi) ANOTHER LOCAL FARMER SAYING: "There is water, no crop, livestock is dying, it is like Thar desert here. We have nothing left." 1.18 8. GV: PEOPLE IN VILLAGE BY PUMP (2 SHOTS) 1.30 9. GV: BOY WORKING ON WATER HAND PUMP 1.36 10. GV: WOMAN COOKING 1.41 LARKANA, PAKISTAN (FILE) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 11. GV/PAN: INDUS RIVER FILLED WITH WATER IN AREA PASSING THROUGH LARKANA DISTRICT 1.55 12. LV: WIDE OF CANAL (2 SHOTS) 2.10 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 4th April 2001 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: LARKANA, PAKISTAN
- Country: Pakistan
- Reuters ID: LVA9RQ6EIW8NBXOK4W060CTZXZZ3
- Story Text: Experts and government officials in Pakistan have
warned that the country faces a critical water shortage and
that there is virtually no short-term solution to the problem.
In the southern province of Sindh, rivers and canals
are fast drying up.
An unusually long dry-spell has created drought
conditions, leaving dams with insufficient water, irrigation
canals dry, land parched in many areas and threatening
people's livelihood.
Pakistan has not seen major rains from the past over
three years.
"We are suffering a lot here, there is no water for us
and the livestock ... it is now third consecutive year that
there is no water," said one worker in Larkana district, 600
kilometres south of Karachi city.
Larkana crosses the main river flow of Indus water that
starts generation of water from the Himalayan mountains and
finally falls in the Arabian sea.
The two major dams in the area have dried up and water
officials are now rationing water to the residents.
"There is water, no crop, livestock is dying, it is like
Thar desert here, we have nothing left," said one farmer.
People are now dependent on underground water which is
taken out through pumps but even that may not be enough as
lack of rains are threatening the already depleted water
supply.
The country has already scaled back gross domestic
product growth to 3.8 percent from 4.5 percent for the fiscal
year that ends in June due to lower agricultural output blamed
in part on water shortages.
With water levels dangerously low and major snow melts
not expected until May, officials said the next few months
were vital for the wheat harvest in April and for preparing
the ground for the next cotton crop.
Engineers have suggested that Pakistan must start
building large dams on its main Indus
river.
But residents in Sindh and the North Western Frontier
and Baluchistan provinces have been objecting to the idea,
saying this may result to more environmental and economical
problems.
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