A high-level meeting chaired by Quetta Division Commissioner Shahzeb Khan Kakar address the city’s escalating water crisis. The meeting decided to immediately disconnect illegal and multiple water connections, regulate private water suppliers, and ensure that car wash stations, livestock farms, tanneries, and marble factories use treated water.
The meeting which included chief engineers from Wasa and the Irrigation Department, along with representatives from the Pakistan Red Crescent and other officials, reviewed the worsening shortage of clean drinking water in the provincial capital. Officials explained that underground water levels in Quetta have dropped to alarming depths due to over-extraction and wasteful consumption.
Several measures were proposed to tackle the issue, including introducing a metering system, reviving traditional karez channels, installing rooftop rainwater harvesting systems in government buildings, sealing illegal tube wells, and establishing recharge points to replenish groundwater.
Commissioner Shahzeb Kakar described Quetta’s water shortage as being at a “dangerous stage” that requires urgent intervention. He emphasized the need for a comprehensive water policy to guarantee the supply of clean water while curbing misuse and called for public awareness campaigns to encourage responsible consumption. He warned that strict action would be taken against those involved in illegal water extraction and directed Wasa to repair damaged pipelines immediately. Legal measures will also be enforced against those found wasting water.
Water survival depends on our collective responsibility, Shahzeb Kakar stated, urging citizens, institutions, and authorities to play their part in conserving the resource.
