A Senate committee has determined that Pakistan’s escalating water crisis is being significantly compounded by unchecked encroachments on waterways, critical regulatory gaps, and institutional weaknesses, including unauthorized infrastructure development that amplifies flood damage nationwide.
According to a report by the Senate office today, the Senate Standing Committee on Water Resources, in a meeting chaired by Senator Jam Saifullah Khan, observed that climate change, particularly accelerated glacier melt, has intensified both flooding and long-term water scarcity. The panel stressed that illegal structures along natural waterways are obstructing water flow and severely undermining national resilience.
While acknowledging that Punjab province has removed 2,625 encroachments from irrigation channels, the committee noted the issue persists across the country. It called for coordinated, time-bound provincial action to clear all waterways and rigorously enforce zoning regulations.
Serious concern was voiced over unauthorized infrastructure, such as bridges reportedly built without the Flood Planning Commission”s approval. The chairman highlighted the high-risk vulnerability of Zameendara Bandh near cultivated lands and directed the ministry to furnish comprehensive provincial data on flood-prone zones, including a standardised definition of “high risk” to facilitate evidence-based policy.
The committee”s review also identified significant institutional failings. The Ministry of Water Resources reported that 15 of its 33 sanctioned posts are currently vacant. The panel described this staffing shortage as a “structural weakness” that impairs effective oversight and implementation, demanding detailed vacancy data for all posts BPS-16 and above to ensure accountability.
Groundwater depletion was identified as a systemic threat to the nation”s water security, driven by excessive pumping in major urban centres, inadequate reservoirs, and low recharge rates. The body called for stricter regulatory enforcement and the implementation of sustainable extraction policies.
The Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) informed the senators that quarterly water quality monitoring is ongoing. Additionally, rainwater harvesting has been made mandatory for all new housing societies developing in Islamabad.
Technological advancements were also discussed, with SUPARCO utilising satellite imagery to identify encroachments and WAPDA operating 17 flood telemetry sites for early warnings. However, the chairman noted persistent technical limitations in calculating water discharge during flood events and directed their immediate rectification.
Regarding major infrastructure, the committee was briefed that the Diamer-Bhasha Dam is 30% complete and the Dasu Hydropower Project is at 21% completion. The panel recommended expediting the Hingol Dam project to mitigate future flood risks and ordered a visit to evaporation ponds in Sindh to assess pollution and water reserve management.
Concluding the session, Senator Khan emphasised that Pakistan”s water challenges represent a governance crisis, not just a resource shortage, requiring integrated planning, strict land-use enforcement, and strengthened federal-provincial coordination for sustainable, climate-resilient water management. Senators Asad Qasim and Poonjo Bheel were also in attendance.
The post Senate Panel Links Unchecked Encroachments and Governance Gaps to Worsening Water Crisis appeared first on PPI News Agency.