Musadik Calls For Scaling Up Groundwater Recharge
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Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Dr Musadik Masood Malik on Tuesday called for scaling up groundwater recharge initiatives in Islamabad to address the continued decline in the city’s groundwater reserves.
Addressing an event titled “Protecting Islamabad’s Aquifers”, the minister said around 200 recharge wells had been constructed in the capital as an important pilot initiative that needed to be expanded. He noted that the estimated increase in the water table resulting from these interventions was 0.4 millimetres, compared with a decline of around 1.5 metres.
Dr Musadik stressed that recharge efforts needed to be significantly expanded to reduce groundwater depletion and eventually reverse the declining trend. While acknowledging the recharge-well initiative as an important achievement, he emphasized that it should not be considered the final solution.
The minister also highlighted the need for improved management of surface and groundwater following recent heavy rainfall in Islamabad. Around 200 millimeters of rainfall had been recorded in the capital, leading to some flooding. Dr Musadik expressed concern over water quality and mentioned that treatment facilities were operating in Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
He raised the issue of delays in establishing an additional water treatment plant, stating that the project had been pending for several years despite repeated tendering processes. Delays, he noted, were not limited to the Capital Development Authority (CDA) but were observed across government departments. Recent progress, however, had been made as the tendering process was underway.
Dr Musadik discussed the importance of protecting Pakistan’s water interests and the role of international treaties and legal mechanisms in ensuring water security. He emphasized the need for respect for international agreements to maintain stability and protect the rights of countries dependent on shared water resources.
Pakistan, he assured, would continue to protect its water interests and stressed the importance of a rules-based international system. The Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination has established a Clean Environment Fund involving private-sector participation and due diligence to support environmental initiatives.
The minister expressed support for legislative measures to promote groundwater recharge in new communities and housing developments, encouraging innovative approaches and greater private-sector involvement in addressing environmental challenges.
