The Ministry of Water Resources has opposed the solarization of agricultural tubewells in Balochistan due to continuous decline in water levels in the province.
Secretary of the Ministry of Water Resources Syed Ali Murtaza told the meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Water Resources under the chairmanship of Senator Shahadat Awan that “There is no engineering solution to this problem, because the underground water level is very low, and this problem cannot be solved.” The only mitigation is to stop installing solar panels on tube wells.”
The water resources ministry’s opposition to solarisation comes at a time when the federal and provincial governments are poised to provide solar panels for agricultural tube wells in Balochistan to avoid further hike in receipts that are already over Rs. have exceeded
While presiding over the meeting, Senator Shahadat Awan expressed dissatisfaction with the explanation in the brief given to the committee by the authorities.
Solar panel-powered tubewells became a menace
During a briefing on ground water scarcity in Balochistan and steps taken by the Ministry of Water Resources, he highlighted that no survey has been conducted since 2021.
He further asserted that if the survey was conducted after 2021, the situation might have improved. Citing the example of groundwater shortage in neighboring Iran, Senator Awan emphasized the need to avoid a similar crisis in Pakistan. gave
He inquired about the availability of accurate data on the number of tube wells installed after 2015.
He further explained that there was a discrepancy in the facts provided to the committee, especially regarding the number of dams.
After the huge electricity bills, the prices of solar panels will blow your mind
He emphasized that the objective of the committee is to find a solution to the problem and this can only be achieved if accurate facts and figures are provided. He also emphasized on the issue of use of solar panels in Balochistan province which has led to increased water leakage and the purpose of the meeting is to identify steps to be taken to tackle this problem.
The secretary of the Ministry of Water Resources commented that the water situation in the province has worsened due to non-implementation of the written instructions.
The additional secretary of the Ministry of Water Resources added that the Irrigation Department of Balochistan has been requested to monitor the water level and provide the ministry with its policy regarding dams.
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2024-10-05 09:36:40
