ISLAMABAD: The federal government is funding the construction of 32 dam projects during the current fiscal year, the National Assembly was informed on Friday. Minister for Water Resources, Musadik Malik, stated that these projects, once completed, will have a storage capacity of 8.4 million acre-feet of water and will irrigate 436,934 acres of new agricultural land.
Malik highlighted the government’s efforts to manage water resources, including the installation of an automatic telemetry system to resolve provincial water disputes. He also pointed to upcoming dam projects like Shyok, Akhori, and Chiniot, aimed at mitigating water scarcity worsened by climate change.
Malik further clarified that water management is a devolved provincial responsibility, with the 2018 National Water Policy providing a framework for sustainable water resource management, including the regulation of groundwater through provincial groundwater authorities.
Story by Asim Yasin
