In the arid regions, increased competition among different users of groundwater has always been a major challenge to its sustainability (Shah et al. 2003). Groundwater is a Common Pool Resource (CPR) which makes it prone to overexploitation and depletion in the absence of appropriate governance regimes (Raqya 1991).

In Balochistan, people largely depend on groundwater for drinking and agricultural needs (Ahmed 2005).  Government policies in Balochistan stimulated by tubewell installations and electrification of villages boosted it further (Chaudhry 1990) in the hope that new technology will turn the arid land into a green oasis. As a part of broader national policies, private tubewell development was also encouraged to control water logging and salinity and the Balochistan government subsidised electricity by providing interest-free loans for the installation of tubewells, (Steenbergen 1995; Johnson 1989). This facilitated a massive transition from the traditional karez system (Qanat; underground irrigation channel system) towards tubewell technology for groundwater withdrawal from the second half of the 1960s (Steenbergen 1995). The number of tubewells grew from 2,500 in 1971 to 21, 231 in 2008 (Khair et al. 2012). Most of this increase occurred during 1998-2005 when drought affected the already arid region. Government policies, allegedly, lowered the water tables resulting in rising energy and capital costs of extracting groundwater (Ahmad 2007; Steenbergen 1995). As tubewells are either diesel or electricity operated, the water table drops (Chaudhry 1990) and cost increases of extracting groundwater.

This study will identify the role of the government and reasons for rapid transition from karez to tubewell technology and also identify the resources available for the rehabilitation of karez in the drought-hit region. The willingness and enthusiasm of the locals will be also be interrogated. A structured questionnaire will be used at the household level from Loralai District (specifically the villages of Zangiwal and Murtat). Descriptive statistic approach will be used for the analysis of data. It is hoped that the study will identify governance lapse in the transition back to karez technology from tubewells and may help policy makers see whether rehabilitation of Karez is viable or not in the present state of the district.

References

Ahmad, S. 2007,  ‘Karez, A Cultural Heritage of Natural and Agricultural Sectors and an Interminable System of Harvesting Groundwater in Balochistan’, Water for Balochistan, Policy Briefings, vol. 3, no. 14,  

Ahmed, S. 2005, ‘Integrated Water Management in Balochistan’, presentation at Integrated Water Management in Balochistan Seminar, organised by IUCN in Quetta, Balochistan, 11 July.

Chaudhry, M. J. 1990, ‘The Adoption of Tubewell Technology in Pakistan’, The Pakistan Development Review, vol. 29, nos. 3 and 4 (Autumn and Winter), pp. 291-303,, accessed 20 October 2015.

Johnson, R. 1989, ‘Private Tubewell Development in Pakistan’s Punjab: Review of Past Public Programmes/Policies and Relevant Research’, Country Paper no. 1 Pakistan, International Irrigation Management Institute (IIMI) Colombo, Sri Lanka, , accessed 13 October 2015.

Khair, S. M. Mushtaq, S. Culas, R. J. and Hafeez, M. 2012, ‘Groundwater Markets Under the Water Scarcity and Declining Watertable Conditions: The Upland Balochistan Region of Pakistan’, Agricultural Systems, vol. 107, March, pp. 21-32. 

Raqya, A. B. 1991, ‘Study on Rationalising Groundwater Use by Electrification of Shallow          Wells’, Irrigation Management Network (IMN) Newsletter, Paper 5/October, Overseas Development Institute (ODI), London, UK, pp. 3–8, , accessed 20 October 2015.

Shah, T. Roy, A.D. Qureshi, A.S and Wang, J. 2003, ‘Sustaining Asia’s Groundwater Boom: An Overview of Issues and Evidence’, Natural Resources Forum, vol. 27, pp. 130-140,

Steenbergen, F. 1995, ‘The Frontier Problem in Incipient Groundwater Management Regimes in Balochistan (Pakistan)’,  Human Ecology, vol. 23, no. 1, pp. 53-74. DOI: 10.1007/BF01190098.