Pakistan Water Crisis
Pakistan: Residents of Skardu facing water shortage, major dam falls to dead level
Gilgit: Residents of Skardu area of Pakistan might be facing severe water shortage as the water level in Sadpara dam has fallen to a dead level, media reports said.
The dam, southwest of Skardu, is the city’s only water source which caters to the residents’ drinking, irrigation and other needs and also generates electricity, reports Dawn News.
Due to the shortage, drinking water is being supplied to Skardu town only during sehri and iftar hours.
A local, Shakoor Abdullah, told Dawn that currently, Skardu residents were facing power outages of up to 22 hours while no drinking water was being supplied for 20 hours.
The water shortage has become more serious since the start of Ramazan, Ishaq Jalal, who is one of the approximately one million residents of Skardu, told the newspaper.
He said locals only get drinking water during sehri and iftar hours.
Jalal said the only solution to overcome the shortage was the diversion of water from nearby streams into the dam.
“Unfortunately, the plan was yet to be materialised even after many decades,” he said.
Locals have criticised Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) officials for mismanagement and failing to ensure water and power supply to Skardu.
A Wapda official told Dawn that currently, the water level in Sadpara dam has fallen to a dead level.
“Following the decrease in water level, drinking water is being supplied to Skardu at particular hours,” he said.
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