Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday said that his government has decided to increase the water storage capacity because India continues to put the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance. “We will build this capacity with our own resources in the next few years. There is a critical role of the National Disaster Management Authority in this,” Sharif said during a visit to the National Emergencies Operations Centre, as per a report by state-run Associated Press.
Sharif said that the “enemy” was trying to act against the waters treaty. He added that the government planned to create a “non-controversial water storage capacity” by making use of projects like the Diamer Bhasha dam and similar resources.
A day after the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, India took strong steps against Pakistan, including suspending the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty.
Pakistan depends heavily on the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab rivers for its farming. Any move to block or redirect this water, even for a short time, could seriously harm the country’s agriculture.
Pak PM announces desperate measures
According to a report in Dawn, Sharif said that weather alerts and disaster warnings should be sent regularly to people through mobile messages, in partnership with the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority.
He also spoke about the massive damage caused by the 2022 floods. He said Pakistan is one of the countries most at risk from natural disasters like cloudbursts, even though it has contributed very little to global warming.
In 2022, Pakistan suffered more than any other country, with over 1,700 people losing their lives. Large areas of farmland were destroyed, homes and public infrastructure were damaged, and the country faced financial losses of around Rs 30 billion, based on government figures.
The Pak PM also said that glaciers melting due to extreme heat is a serious concern and requires the highest level of readiness.
