Call for law to regulate commercial groundwater extraction

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th Apr, 2026) Rapid depletion of groundwater across Pakistan has reached alarming levels due to excessive domestic, agricultural and commercial use, with experts urging the government to introduce strict regulations on its extraction.

Speaking at a special talk on “Water Resources Management in Pakistan” organised by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), water expert and Senior Adviser Naseer Memon warned that the situation was worsening in the absence of an effective regulatory framework.

Memon noted that the Indus Basin aquifer — the Primary groundwater source for Pakistan — has been ranked as the world’s second most over-stressed aquifer, calling for urgent government intervention.

He attributed growing pressure on water resources to rapid urbanisation, pointing out that the country’s urban population has nearly doubled over the past few decades. This surge, he said, has intensified demand for water and posed serious challenges for long-term water security.

Highlighting regional disparities, he said the water table in Quetta has declined from around 50 metres in 2000 to more than 150 metres in 2023. In Lahore, groundwater levels are falling by an average of 2.61 feet annually, while Rawalpindi has seen a decline of about 30 feet since 2013. Karachi, meanwhile, faces a daily shortfall, receiving around 650 million gallons per day against a demand exceeding 1,200 million gallons.

Memon also pointed to inefficiencies in urban water systems, noting that 35 to 40 per cent of piped water is lost due to leakages and theft.

He said agriculture remains the largest consumer, accounting for over 90pc of groundwater use. More than 60pc of irrigation in the Indus Basin depends on pumped groundwater. The number of agricultural tubewells in Punjab has increased sharply from 334,000 in 1994 to over 1.2 million in 2024, extracting more than 51 million acre-feet annually.

The unchecked extraction, he added, has led to groundwater levels falling below six metres in more than half of irrigated areas.

To address the crisis, Memon stressed the need for conservation and recharge measures, including sponge city initiatives, managed aquifer recharge, rainwater harvesting, and the development of wetlands and flood channels to store excess water.

Earlier, SDPI Deputy Executive Director Dr Shafqat Munir introduced Memon and underscored the seriousness of groundwater depletion, describing it as a critical governance and policy issue.

He said water could no longer be treated as an unlimited natural resource, warning that its continued wastage would have severe consequences for the country.