With temperatures already reaching the high 40s Celsius, the availability of water is likely to be the primary issue facing some of Sindh’s most vulnerable areas once the predicted heatwave begins today (Tuesday).
Prolonged power outages have already made life extremely difficult for those in urban areas, with frequent and unannounced blackouts leading to water shortages in areas served by the Sukkur and Hyderabad electricity distribution companies.
The Sindh Chief Secretary stated that the divisional commissioners of Hyderabad and Sukkur have been instructed to coordinate with the power companies to ensure that load-shedding is minimized. However, the Water and Sanitation Authority (Wasa) blames the power outages for their inability to provide potable water supplies to Hyderabad residents, who require around 130 million gallons per day during peak summer. Wasa says they can only provide 70-75 million gallons per day, with the rest being raw or settled water.
Outside of major cities like Karachi and Hyderabad, many other areas in Sindh may lack large water filtration plants to supply drinking water to the population. Experts warn that extreme weather conditions force civic bodies to scramble, as heatwaves increase water evapotranspiration and create conditions conducive to bacterial growth, leading to civic agencies supplying untreated water to meet demand – which risks causing waterborne disease outbreaks.
The heatwave is also expected to deplete surface water in dams and canals through increased evaporation, compromising total water availability. This could impact irrigation water for agriculture, and lead to greater groundwater extraction in arid regions, where recharge dams are already depleted.
Overall, the combination of high temperatures, power cuts, and limited water infrastructure threatens to exacerbate water scarcity and create significant public health challenges in Sindh during this heatwave.
