ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary panel on Monday gave provinces a strict two-month deadline to clear all encroachments from rivers and waterways, warning that failure to act before the next monsoon would be treated as a criminal offense.
The Senate Standing Committee on Water Resources said the slow pace of clearance had put the country at serious risk of another flood disaster. Senator Shahdat Awan said he was alarmed that earlier directives were ignored and that a long-pending report on river and canal encroachments had still not been submitted. He urged the Federal Flood Commission and other agencies to coordinate better and “deliver results, not excuses,” stressing that all encroachments obstructing rivers, reservoirs and drainage channels must be cleared without delay.
Fresh Water ministry data showed poor progress. Punjab removed 1,790 of 2,687 encroachments, Sindh only six of 164, and KP 126 of 377, while Balochistan cleared none. Data from AJK and GB is pending. Awan said the figures showed provinces, SUPARCO and even the federal ministry were “failing to do their job.”
The committee ordered provinces to work with the ministry to eliminate all encroachments within two months. Awan warned that any failure before the monsoon season would be treated as criminal negligence.
The Water Resources Secretary said the government is considering a dam on the Chenab River at Chiniot, with feasibility work already completed. Officials said the Chenab contributes 23 million acre-feet of water annually to Pakistan’s irrigation system, though its entire catchment lies in India.
Officials also briefed the committee on the Rs800 billion National Flood Protection Plan. Provincial projects are valued at Rs746.96 billion, while the federal government has proposed 56 subprojects worth Rs77.53 billion. The plan includes 170 projects in Phase One and 205 in Phase Two.
Wapda raised concerns about rising water insecurity. It said 51 percent of western river flows entering Pakistan over the past decade came from India, while 49 percent originated locally. It noted that the Indus receives 29 percent of its flows from India, the Jhelum 56 percent, and the Chenab at Marala 100 percent. WAPDA warned that India could alter flows through its upstream projects.
Wapda said Pakistan’s population is projected to hit 315 million by 2050, driving demand for 70 million acre-feet of extra water. It briefed senators on five dams due by 2030 that will add 11.13 million acre-feet of storage and expand power generation. Officials also reported progress on 45 flood-telemetry gauges as the committee ordered 457 more for stronger early-warning systems.
