The crisis of water scarcity in Pakistan is an imminent threat and the country needs to take charge of the situation as soon as possible. With the weather conditions changing so drastically, the need of the hour is a policy that will ensure that Pakistan does not run out of the adequate water by 2025, as predicted by experts. The initiative launched by the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar to collect funds for dam making was in dire need of adoption by the government. The speech by Prime Minister Imran Khan not only addressed one of the most imminent issues of Pakistan but also took ownership of a project which the judiciary had launched out of concern.
The government has the required resources to bring the idea to the phase of materialisation with the help of experts and efficient planning. For a government to address the issue this early on in its tenure reflects their realisation of the fact that water scarcity is a national issue and one that needs the utmost attention. The lack of water will be devastating in itself, but we can also safely predict that the water mafia will become another problem for the country to deal with. As time goes on, it will be difficult to break up these mafias to ensure the fair distribution of water.
However, an undeniable fact which the government needs to understand - along with the adoption of this donation fund - is that small individual donations cannot solely be enough to build a dam. A facility as enormous as this requires proper planning and deep pockets. Funds might be a complementary option to a larger scheme but in terms of the only plan of action - it needs to be reconsidered. The only effective options at this moment would be to either seek further loans from development banks or devote a significant chunk of the national budget to dam building - at the cost of other development. Both are difficult choices, but building mega-structures such as dams has never been easy.
If Imran Khan and the PTI are looking at a goal of ending water scarcity in Pakistan, then they have to take serious decision grounded in reality.
Other options might be explored; there is a debate surrounding building larger dams, and many experts propose smaller reservoirs to large dams. A dedicated team effort coupled with expert advice can provide solutions beneficial to Pakistan in the longer run.