Telemetry system

A few days ago, the Prime Minister was briefed on the water level in rivers in Pakistan. He was also informed that India is building dams to divert the water flow, while Pakistan has failed to do so and will suffer from water shortages soon. Strangely enough, the Prime Minister was not informed that to be able to counter India’s scheme of diverting water, Pakistan needs proof of water diversion instead of dams.
This proof can only come from ‘Telemetry systems’ to measure the flow of water in rivers from India. The decision to install a telemetry system was issued in 2007, but due to unbeknownst reasons, the project was delayed for several years. Little progress was made during this time for e.g. telemetry systems on the mountain rivers in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (and other river canals of the province have been installed and are operational. Besides, telemetry systems on Punjab and Sindh canals have also been installed and operational. Although the Prime Minister has ordered the installation of telemetry measuring systems on rivers coming from India as a priority, the project is still in its preliminary stages and Wapda claims that the project will take 30 months to complete.
The project needs to be undertaken urgently and finished within a year. Otherwise, our water supply will be affected substantially. Perhaps, the government should seek assistance from foreign countries with expertise in the area to speed up the installation process. Once the telemetry river monitoring systems are installed, the water flow from India should be monitored and any shortfalls should be contested legally. Similarly, help from regional bodies and international organisations must be taken to increase pressure on India to stop diverting the flow of our water. The Pakistani government must also raise the issue of potential ecological and environmental damage being caused by artificial water shortages. Water shortage can be the reason for the next war between our two nations.
Shahryar Khan Baseer
Peshawar