Hub Industries Face Severe Water Shortage Despite Near-Full Dam
**KARACHI:** Industries in Hub are facing a worsening water crisis despite the Hub Dam being almost full, with business leaders warning that prolonged shortages could force several industrial units to suspend operations and put thousands of jobs at risk.
The Hub Chamber of Commerce and Industry (HCCI) has appealed to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to intervene immediately, warning that the shortage could develop into a major industrial, agricultural and humanitarian crisis.
HCCI President Yakoob H. Karim and former president Ismail Suttar said industries, farmers and residents in Hub were being deprived of their required share of water despite the availability of substantial reserves in the Hub Dam.
They warned that unless water supplies are increased in line with the region’s current industrial, agricultural and population needs, several factories could be forced to shut down within weeks, affecting thousands of workers and causing significant economic losses.
Hub is considered a major industrial centre of Balochistan and contributes more than Rs7 billion annually to the national exchequer in taxes. The HCCI leaders said prolonged water shortages could reduce government revenue while also affecting exports, investment and future industrial expansion.
According to the chamber, Hub depends primarily on the Hub Dam for its water requirements, while Karachi has access to multiple water sources. Despite this disparity, they claimed that Hub currently receives only 36.7 per cent of the available water allocation, compared with 62.3pc for Karachi.
The HCCI leaders argued that the existing water-sharing formula, established in the 1980s, no longer reflects the region’s demographic, agricultural and industrial growth.
They said Hub’s population was around 20,000 when the formula was introduced, with only five industrial units and approximately 1,000 acres of cultivated land. Today, they claimed, the population has crossed one million, the number of industrial units has increased to around 300, while more than 25,000 acres are under cultivation.
Despite this substantial expansion, the chamber alleged that Wapda continues to follow an allocation formula developed nearly four decades ago.
The HCCI leaders said industries had been receiving significantly less water than their actual requirements for the past two months. As a result, several factories have been operating below capacity, while others have already reduced production.
They warned that if the shortage continues, widespread industrial closures, job losses and further economic disruption could become unavoidable.
The chamber urged the federal government to review the existing water-sharing mechanism and ensure an adequate and equitable supply to Hub’s industrial, agricultural and residential sectors based on current demand and population.
