Residents of Karachi use expensive private tankers to meet their water needs due to continuous water scarcity. As prices rise, more people are looking for alternatives, and groundwater extraction is a popular, cost-effective option. Once boring machines are purchased, water looks infinite. Karachi and Punjab share this pattern, where line water is often contaminated and residents use groundwater.
However, unregulated extraction threatens the nation’s water supply. Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) research shows serious groundwater depletion. The government’s failure to provide safe, reliable line water forces citizens to drill.
This has allowed businesses and private companies to profit from natural resources. However, reckless groundwater consumption is unsustainable. Pakistan’s water problems will intensify due to climate change and glacier retreat. Protecting Pakistan’s most precious resource requires immediate government action. To avoid a darker, thirstier future, wastewater recycling and fair access to clean water must be prioritised.
