The capital Islamabad and Rawalpindi may have to start restricting water usage as the water level at the Khanpur Dam near the capital Islamabad continues to drop at alarming level, Pakistan’s local newspaper Dawn reported on June 1st.
The head of the Kanpur dam said that due to the hot and dry weather, the output of the reservoir has been greatly reduced. If there is no rainfall, the water level will only be sufficient for a month, and the reservoir will not be able to provide drinking water to the residents of Rawalpindi and Islamabad after the month of July this year. Pakistan is on the verge of becoming a water-stressed country due to rising temperatures and climate change, an official from the Pakistan Hydropower Development Authority said. Improvements in water pricing and management are currently needed to avoid further water shortages.