ISLAMABAD: According to a Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) study on water resources in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) on Monday, the water situation in the tribal areas was better than other parts of the country; however, water conservation and management needed improvement.
The first-ever study of the region was carried out after the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) requested the PCRWR to carry out a detailed water analysis in FATA.
Citing the first-ever study on water resources in FATA, the chief of the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) said this was the first such research compiled by the federal government in tribal areas.
Tribal areas of the country have been ignored for a long since the inception of Pakistan. In addition to that, ‘militancy’ in the area had also proved to be a menace to the developmental projects in the area.
A semblance of normalcy returned to the area in the wake of successive military operations; following which the authorities concerned can focus on population welfare projects.
Another important development in the status of FATA is FATA-Khyber Pakhtunkhwa merger being discussed in the National Assembly. However, FATA’s fate remains uncertain as the government and opposition quibble over the bill.
PCRWR Chairman Dr Muhammad Ashraf said that the study mainly focused on existing water resources in FATA, groundwater situation, contamination level and water management.
The detailed report has already been handed over to the FATA secretariat, which appreciated the effort, he said.
“I appreciate the FATA secretariat for its cooperation … It provided an enabling environment for our teams, allowing them to complete the challenging task with ease,” said Ashraf.
He said that the study identified various water issues, suggesting ways for improving the situation in this regard.”
“This is the first time in the country’s history that a study has been conducted on available water resources, conservation and management in FATA have been carried out,” he concluded.
