 Glaciers and Snow deposits

 The main sources of freshwater specially in

the Northern Areas of Pakistan are glaciers
and snow deposits which contribute to
stream flow. Other sources are precipitation
and spring water.
 Assignment: You are required to get the latest figures through any means. Best is
Research Papers/Articles /Internet Sources etc.
 Precipitation
 This source of water is scarce throughout the
region due to meager rainfall in the lower
elevations
 Rainfall varies between 100-400 mm (PMD map)
annually
 In high altitudes precipitation reaches significant
values, estimated to be as high as 2000 mm
annually
 Spring water
 Spring water is localized and not widely available,
and therefore is only a limited source of water
usage in the Northern Areas.
 Ground water in Balochistan
 The Makran coastal zone and several other
basins contain highly brackish groundwater.
 Local communities use groundwater with
TDS as high as 3000 mg/l, for drinking
purposes, as there are no alternatives.
 Ground water in Balochistan
 InMastung Valley,the groundwater has been
found to have high fluoride content.
 The Makran coast and Kharan have also been
reported to have high fluoride groundwater.
Ground water in Punjab
About 79% of the Punjab
province has access to fresh
groundwater.
 Ground water in Punjab
 Around9.78 million acres are underlain with
groundwater of less than 1000 mg/l TDS
 Ground water in Punjab
 The Cholistan area in southern Punjab is well
known for highly brackish waters and can not
be used for drinking purposes.
 Groundwater with high fluoride content is
found in the Salt Range, Kasur and Mianwali.
 Ground water in Punjab
 There are also reports of high fluoride
content, ranging from 12 to 65 mg/l in
groundwater in the Bahawalpur area.
 Sampling of groundwater in Jhelum, Gujrat
and Sargodha districts have shown
concentrations of arsenic well above the
WHO guideline value of 50 g/l.
 Ground water in Sindh
 Around 28% of the Sindh province has access
to fresh groundwater suitable for irrigation
i.e. the water has less than 1000 mg/l TDS.
 Close to the edges of the irrigated lands,
fresh groundwater can be found at 20 - 25 m
depth.
 Ground water in Sindh
 Large areas in the province are underlain with
groundwater of poor quality.
 Indiscriminate pumping has resulted in
contamination of the aquifer at many places
where the salinity of tubewell water has
increased.
 Ground water in Sindh
 The areas with non-potable, highly brackish
water include Thar and Kohistan.
 In Tharparkar and Umarkot, the situation is
further complicated by the occurrence of high
fluoride in the groundwater.
 Ground water in Khyber Pakhtunkhaw
(KPK)
 In NWFP, abstraction in excess of recharge in
certain areas such as Karak,Kohat, Bannu and
D.I. Khan has lowered the water table and
resulted in the contamination from
underlying saline water.