PAKISTAN: EXTREME SHORTAGE OF WATER FORCES AUTHORITIES TO EXPLORE POSSIBILITY OF MELTING GLACIERS

Record ID: 862344

  • Title: PAKISTAN: EXTREME SHORTAGE OF WATER FORCES AUTHORITIES TO EXPLORE POSSIBILITY OF MELTING GLACIERS
  • Date: 28th April 2001
  • Summary: FILE (RTV) AV SNOW COVERED MOUNTAINS; GLACIERS (4 SHOTS)
  • Embargoed: 13th May 2001 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN
  • City:
  • Country: Pakistan
  • Topics: Environment
  • Reuters ID: LVA9OCTCZ2JYW0KUA06YB936TTFX
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: The extreme shortage of water in Pakistan is forcing authorities to explore the possiblity of melting glaciers to tide over the crisis.
    Pakistan is desperate enough for water that officials are even examining the possibility of melting their glaciers.
    With rains continuing below normal and reservoirs filling at less than half the rate they should, the military government of General Pervez Musharraf has asked the national weather office to look at the possibility of melting the glaciers in their northern mountains.
    "The government has asked us to study whether this project can be undertaken," said Qamar-uz-Zaman Chaudhry, Director General of the Meteorological Department, said in an interview.
    "We have not yet completed our study, but up to now we have gathered that it can be done by spraying some black carbon on the snow, the glaciers. They will absorb more radiation and the snow melt can be increased 10 or 15 percent," he added.
    However, Chaudhry made it clear he saw potential pitfalls in speeding up the melting rate of glaciers, which have been a major source of water for the arid country each spring and summer for millennia.
    "There are many other factors that require even more detailed and deeper study (than how to melt) before undertaking any such activity because there are a lot of environmental hazards in this," said Chaudhry.
    He said speeding up melting of glaciers in the mountains of the Himalayan, Hindu Kush and Karakoram ranges could possibly destablise glaciers, block rivers and lead to flooding.
    "There are other hazards that if we destroy these natural glaciers whether they can pose any other threat like flooding in some rivers or blocking of some of rivers," said Chaudhry.
    Local political and religious parties in Sindh have staged a series of protests against the water crisis, accusing the military government of withholding irrigation supplies in some areas of the province in favour of the populous central province of Punjab.
    The government denies the charge, and says it is doing everything it can to solve the problem.
    Pakistan has suffered acute rain shortages, especially in the key agricultural province of Sindh, for the last four years.
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