Water Crisis In Lahore? Pakistan Court Proposes Emergency Declaration

Lahore: The Lahore High Court has raised concerns about the alarming decline in water levels, warning that the situation is rapidly evolving into drought-like conditions. 

During a hearing on environmental petitions, Justice Shahid Karim emphasized the urgency of declaring a state of emergency to combat the escalating water crisis, according to Dawn. 

Justice Karim highlighted the critical need to address the situation swiftly and prevent water wastage. He reiterated his recommendation for an emergency declaration to mitigate the worsening water shortage.

A law officer from the Punjab government informed the court that a committee, led by the Punjab chief secretary, had been formed to address the issue. However, the court expressed dissatisfaction with the progress and criticized the excessive water usage at car washes outside homes, directing authorities to implement a crackdown and impose fines.

The court also requested a report on the current drought conditions and urged commercial markets to promptly install water meters, with the costs to be passed on to consumers. 

A lawyer from the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) informed the court that a proposal had been submitted to the provincial government for the installation of 200,000 water meters, with the cost to be recovered through installment payments to reduce the financial burden on consumers.

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Justice Karim also asked for a report on potential amendments to regulations concerning loader rickshaws and suggested recruiting students as environmental volunteers. He raised concerns about the expiration of the government's school transport ordinance, questioning why school owners appeared to have such influence over the government.

Pakistan 's cultural city Lahore been declared the most polluted city in the world, with an alarming Air Quality Index (AQI) of 394, and the Pakistan's Punjab government has planned for artificial rain to mitigate smog impact.

The AQI is a measure of the concentration of various pollutants in the air. An AQI above 100 is considered unhealthy and above 150 “very unhealthy”.