CM stresses need to save water as crisis looms

–Askari says state responsible for provision of justice to each and every person

–Congratulates national cricket team over victory against Zimbabwe

LAHORE: Punjab Caretaker Chief Minister Dr Hassan Askari Rizvi on Monday said that rainwater should be utilised for multiple purposes and awareness should be raised among the masses regarding the hazards of wasting water.

Speaking during a meeting with Punjab Minister for Environment Saeedullah Babar, who called on him, the chief minister said that Pakistan’s water crisis had become increasingly visible within the past few months as water levels in the country’s largest dams were getting lower.

“Parched irrigation canals mean that there isn’t enough water for the farmers,” he said, adding that it was worrying as the economy of the country was dependent on agriculture.

It merits mention that a majority of the water used in the country comes from its two largest dams – Tarbela and Mangla. Both are managed by the Indus River System Authority (IRSA), a government-run water management agency.

In March, IRSA had informed that dams, for the first time in 15 years, had reached the “dead level”, that is the point from which the water cannot be drained by gravity, and can only be pumped out.

Pakistan’s population is growing by 2.4 per cent annually and last year it reached 208 million, up from just over 130 million in 1998.

Linked to that, per capita water availability has been on a downward trend for decades. In 1947, the figure stood at about 5,000 cubic meters per person, according to the World Bank while today it is 1,000 cubic meters.

‘STATE RESPONSIBLE FOR PROVISION OF JUSTICE TO EVERYONE’:

Earlier, CM Askari said that provision of justice to each and every person was the responsibility of the state.

In his message on the occasion of World Day for International Justice, he said the day was an opportunity to pay tribute to those who had rendered great sacrifices in the struggle against injustice.

Askari said that Islam had stressed for the provision of justice to every person without any discrimination and added that a just society could be formulated only through the protection of human rights.

“I believe that a just society is imperative for socio-economic development of the country. The societies, where justice is denied, ultimately disappear from the map of the world,” he said and appealed to the civil society to play its role along with the government for formulating a society based on the principles of justice and equality.

“Today, we should reiterate our commitment to ensuring provision of justice to every segment of society,” he concluded.

ASKARI CONGRATULATES CRICKET TEAM:

Separately, the chief minister congratulated the national cricket team over its victory against Zimbabwe in the second one-day match.

In his message to the players, CM Askari said that Pakistani players, once again, had exhibited a marvelous performance and outclassed the Zimbabwean cricket team.

He said that Usman Shinwari and Hasan Ali bowled wonderfully while Fakhar Zaman and Imamul Haq played an important role in the victory through their batting.

The chief minister also hoped that the team would perform with same zeal and zest to achieve success in upcoming matches.