KHUSHAB: The picturesque Soon Valley Sakesar, long admired for its deep blue lakes, lush green hills, and mineral springs, is now confronting a silent but severe environmental crisis. What was once a symbol of natural beauty is rapidly deteriorating as unregulated, solar-powered groundwater extraction drains the valley’s aquifers.
Thousands of solar panels, initially seen as a sign of progress and energy independence, have inadvertently accelerated groundwater depletion. As electricity shortages and high diesel prices pushed farmers to adopt solar-powered submersible pumps, water extraction has become virtually free—and nearly constant.
Running throughout the day at zero operational cost, these pumps encourage excessive and unrestricted water use. Experts and local elders report that groundwater levels in parts of Soon Valley have dropped by 50 to 100 feet, causing long-standing wells and natural springs to dry up.
The perception of “free water” has further intensified the crisis. Previously, fuel and electricity costs forced farmers to limit pumping. Now, continuous solar pumping leads to large-scale wastage, with water flowing for hours—often far beyond irrigation needs.
Social activist Mian Tanveer told Express that abundant water access has pushed farmers away from traditional low-water crops toward water-intensive vegetables and fodder. In many fields, unnecessary over-irrigation is accelerating the depletion of an already fragile aquifer.
“The water we’re extracting far exceeds what rainfall can replenish,” he warned. “We are consuming our capital, not the interest—each pump is effectively digging a new underground death well.”
The consequences are now visible on the surface. The shrinking lakes of Uchali, Khabeki, and Jahlar—all dependent on underground springs—are showing alarming declines, threatening delicate ecosystems and endangering several rare and migratory bird species.
Soon Valley’s silent water crisis, if left unchecked, may irreversibly alter one of Pakistan’s most treasured natural landscapes.
Story by Saeed Awan
