Severe drought warning issued for most of Pakistan

People rest under the shade of a tree as temperature reached 44 C (111 F) in Karachi, Pakistan, on May 30, 2018. (AP)

• Low reservoir levels and dry dams following months of below-average rainfall prompts call for shakeholders to produce water management plans.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has warned of drought in most parts of the country following below average seasonal rainfall.
On Wednesday, the department announced that “water availability in major reservoirs is low” in most parts of the country.
“Due to deficient rainfall, drought-like conditions have emerged over most parts of Pakistan,” read the statement from the department.
It added that moderate to severe drought is prevailing in the barani areas of Punjab, lower Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), south Punjab, southwest Balochistan and southeast Sindh.
“Small dams, groundwater boring and wells have become dry in most areas of Islamabad and Rawalpindi,” the department warned.
“Dry conditions were observed in the southern parts of the country during the past five months,” said the statement, adding that the dry conditions have caused water stress in agricultural areas.
Rainfall, the department said, was recorded below normal level in most parts of Pakistan. In the period from January to March the country received -62pc, well below normal rainfall, while rainfall during the spring months of April and May was -9.9pc.
While water levels in all the major dams will improve with rising temperatures, all stakeholders have been asked to prepare water management strategies to crop damage due to insufficient rainfall.