Balochistan’s insurgency and the sense of deprivation among its people are rooted in decades of economic neglect, political marginalisation, and the mismanagement of development projects. The province, which constitutes 44% of Pakistan’s total land area, receives a mere 3.66% of the nation's water share. The lack of adequate water infrastructure is a critical issue. By addressing the water crisis, the government could create economic opportunities for the common man, reducing the appeal of insurgency and alleviate the pervasive sense of deprivation.
The province’s arid landscapes, dwindling groundwater reserves, and failed water infrastructure projects paint a grim picture of despair. As Balochistan’s people struggle to access the most basic necessity of life, 62% of the population lacks access to safe drinking water. More than 58% of its land is rapidly turning into desert due to water shortages. The unfinished Kechi Canal project stands as a stark symbol of broken promises and bureaucratic indifference.
During the era of British colonial rule, the British recognised the agricultural potential of the province and initiated numerous infrastructure projects to harness water resources. They constructed various irrigation canals, such as the Hakra, Nari, and Bolan canals, to redirect river water to the fertile plains of Sibi, Kachhi, and Bolan. They also improved the Karezes by lining them and developed the Quetta water supply system to meet the needs of the growing population in the provincial capital. However, Quetta’s water table is now dropping by 3 to 5 feet annually. The city faces severe water shortages due to rapid urbanisation, population growth, and groundwater depletion. Groundwater levels have dropped significantly, with an average depletion of 300 feet from 2010 to 2021. Quetta is now grappling with an acute water crisis, with residents relying on tankers for their daily needs. WASA operates around 450-500 functional tube wells within Quetta city, while the tanker mafia is said to have approximately 2,000 tankers in and around the city, supplying water to 80% of the population. Factors such as unregulated tube well installations, agricultural expansion, and a lack of sustainable water management exacerbate the crisis.
On this World Water Day, it is imperative to confront the water crisis in Balochistan. From the outset, the plight of Balochistan has remained largely ignored. Four types of drought—meteorological, agricultural, hydrological, and socio-economic—exist in Balochistan with varying intensities. Many areas of the province are experiencing drought because, since 2013, the province has received less than 50 millimetres of rainfall annually, making it one of the driest regions in the country. The rainfall has been barely one-fourth of the usual amount (usual rainfall is 200-250 mm). PDMA and UNDP have identified the following districts as severely affected by drought: Dera Bugti, Kohlu, Loralai, Zhob, Qilla Saifullah, Pishin, Qilla Abdullah, Noshki, Kharan, Awaran, Mastung, Kalat, Khuzdar, and Lasbela. The drought has disproportionately affected women and children. UNICEF reported that approximately 35% of child deaths are related to malnutrition, and about 60% are linked to poor water and sanitation conditions in Pakistan. Balochistan's ratio is even higher.
Two-thirds of the Kechi canal’s benefits were allocated to Punjab, while one-third of the land was allotted to retired army personnel
In 2022, Dera Bugti, which houses four gas companies producing billions of rupees annually, witnessed the deaths of 28 people due to contaminated water, followed by outbreaks of cholera and other epidemic diseases. After protests, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif took notice and approved the Pirkoh Water Project at a cost of 29 crore rupees. However, due to various governmental changes, the project faced significant delays. In 2023, water was successfully supplied from Dera Bugti to Pirkoh Top, and pipelines were laid in 80% of the neighborhoods. Yet, obstacles once again halted progress. The words of a dying woman still echo in my ears: "If I die thirsty rather than drinking contaminated water, will I go to Heaven?" asked a religious leader.
Poverty in Balochistan is predominantly rural, driven by limited water resources and a lack of off-farm employment. Agriculture, the backbone of the economy, supports 75% of the population but faces challenges like water scarcity. Only 7.2% of the land is cultivable, with water being the primary constraint. In 2015, 71.2% of Balochistan's population lived below the poverty line, significantly higher than Pakistan's national average of 38.8%. Despite this, Balochistan has been denied its rightful share of water from the Indus River system, as promised under the Water Apportionment Accord of 1991. The accord allocates Balochistan a mere 3.66% of the water, the smallest share among the provinces, even though its land area surpasses that of Punjab, Sindh, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa combined. To make matters worse, even this meagre allocation is not fully provided to the province.
The Indus River, Pakistan’s lifeline, feeds an extensive canal system that irrigates millions of acres of agricultural land in Punjab and Sindh. However, Balochistan, which contributes significantly to the river’s basin through its western rivers and seasonal streams, has been left out of this system. The province has no major canals to channel water to its arid lands, forcing farmers to rely on tube wells and rainwater. This has led to the depletion of groundwater reserves. The federal and provincial governments’ failure to address this issue has deepened the sense of deprivation among the people of Balochistan.
In 2013, the PML-N government announced the Kechi Canal project, an Rs. 80 billion initiative aimed at irrigating 713,000 acres of land in Balochistan. The canal, planned to be 500 kilometres long with a capacity to carry 5,000 cusecs of water, was hailed as a game-changer for the province. It promised to transform barren lands into fertile fields and create thousands of jobs. However, a decade later, the project remains incomplete, mired in corruption and bureaucratic delays. The Kechi Canal could have been a lifeline for the people of Balochistan, but its stagnation is a testament to the systemic neglect that has plagued the province for decades.
Even more disheartening is the fact that two-thirds of the canal’s benefits were allocated to Punjab, while one-third of the land was allotted to retired army personnel. The local population, for whom the project was ostensibly designed, has been largely excluded. Similarly, other canals like the Pat Feeder Canal and Shahi Canal primarily benefit influential families like the Jamali and Maggsi Nawabs, leaving the common people of Balochistan high and dry.
Balochistan’s existing dams, such as the Nari Bank Dam, Bolan Dam, and Mola Dam, have failed to provide significant benefits. These structures lack proper water control mechanisms and suffer from broken infrastructure, rendering them ineffective. Despite the allocation of funds for dam construction in districts like Dera Bugti, not a single dam has been completed in the past five years. Rainwater, instead of being harnessed, causes destruction in settled areas. The Sui to Kashmore road is a prime example, where more than ten people have drowned while attempting to cross during the rainy season in the last two years. The absence of functional dams has further exacerbated the water crisis in Balochistan.
The water crisis in Balochistan is not just an environmental issue—it is a humanitarian one. On this World Water Day, it is imperative to recognise the role of water in fostering peace and development. For Balochistan, the solutions include: ensuring that Balochistan receives its rightful share of water from the Indus River system; completing the Kechi Canal project on a priority basis, with a high-level inquiry to address corruption and mismanagement; building dams, reservoirs, and canals to harness rainwater and groundwater effectively; and implementing transparent governance and accountability mechanisms to ensure that funds allocated for water projects are used efficiently.
Water is not just a resource; it is a source of life, hope, and prosperity. For the people of Balochistan, access to water could mean the difference between poverty and prosperity, between conflict and peace. On this World Water Day, let us pledge to address the water crisis in Balochistan and ensure that no one is left behind in the quest for a sustainable future.