Met office issues drought alert to stakeholders

PESHAWAR: Pakistan Meteorological Department Islamabad, Pakistan issued a drought alert to all stakeholders for an immediate water management strategy to avoid negative impacts of deficit rainfall on water and agriculture sector.
According to details, as predicted during Jan, May 2018, below normal rainfall has been recorded over most parts of the country.
The winter months (Jan-March) 2018 received 62% well below normal rainfall whereas (April-May) 2018, it was 9.9% near normal and (Jan-May) 2018, it was 44.9% below normal rainfall over Pakistan. Due to deficient rainfall,
drought like conditions have been emerged in most parts of Pakistan.
The moderate to severe drought is prevailing in barani area of Punjab, Lower KP, south Punjab, southwest Baluchistan and south east Sindh.
Dry condition was observed in southern parts of the country during the past five months. This dry condition caused water stress in the agriculture areas of the country that demands availability of more supplementary irrigation water for Kharif crops. The water availability in major reservoirs is low, however, water situation in the major dams will improve with the increase of temperature. Small dams (situated near Islamabad) are at critical level and ground water boring and wells become dry (up to the depth of 150 feet) in most areas of Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
It is therefore advised to all stakeholders for an immediate water management strategy to avoid negative impacts of deficit rainfall on water and agriculture sector.