By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) issued a drought alert on Monday for Sindh, Balochistan, and Punjab provinces, where rainfall from Sept. 1, 2024, to March 21, 2025, was 40 percent below normal.
“The current weather and seasonal climate outlook are likely to exacerbate the drought situation in affected areas,” the alert stated, noting acute water shortages in critical reservoirs and rivers.
The alert stated that drought conditions would continue in Sindh, southern parts of Balochistan, and lower eastern plain areas of Punjab, despite recent rainfall spells that have improved drought conditions in central and upper parts of the country.
The mean temperature during March 2025 in the lower half of the country was 2-3 degrees Celsius above normal, while consecutive dry days in some areas of the southern region exceeded 200 days.
“The emergence of flash drought is anticipated in upcoming months due to the rainfall deficit and rising temperatures,” the PMD reiterated, calling for urgent measures to safeguard vulnerable communities and agricultural output.
In Sindh, moderate drought conditions are anticipated in Padidan, Shaheed Benazirabad, Dadu, Tharparkar, Umerkot, Khairpur, Hyderabad, Thatta, Badin, and Karachi, while mild drought is expected in Ghotki, Jacobabad, Larkana, Sukkur, and Sanghar. Balochistan faces moderate drought in Gwadar, Kech, Lasbela, Panjgur, and Awaran, with mild conditions in Chagai, Jaffarabad, Jhal Magsi, Sibbi, Nushki, and Washuk. In Punjab, Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur, and Rahim Yar Khan are identified as vulnerable.
Rainfall deficits were most severe in Sindh (-62 percent), followed by Balochistan (-52 percent), Punjab (-38 percent), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (-35 percent), Azad Jammu and Kashmir (-29 percent), and Gilgit-Baltistan (-2 percent). Compounding the crisis, water levels in Tarbela and Mangla dams—Pakistan’s largest reservoirs—have plummeted to “dead levels” of 1,402 feet and 1,061.75 feet, respectively, halting hydropower generation and crippling irrigation supplies. “Water flowing in different rivers is at an extremely low level,” the PMD warned.
The National Drought Monitoring & Early Warning Centre (NDMC) reported temperatures 1-7°C above average between March 15-21, further depleting soil moisture. “This rise in temperature is expected to increase water demand, adversely affecting crops and putting extra pressure on already strained water resources,” the center said, highlighting risks to agriculture and livelihoods.
The PMD also raised alarms over potential “flash drought”—a phenomenon that intensifies rapidly due to abrupt changes in precipitation, temperature, and wind patterns—urging preparedness in the rainfall-deficient months ahead.
Dry weather is expected across most regions from March 24-30, though isolated rain, windstorms, and hailstorms may hit lower Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and parts of Punjab. Upper KP, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Kashmir, and northern Balochistan could see rain, thunderstorms, or snowfall on March 26.
The NDMC emphasized continuous monitoring of conditions, urging authorities to prioritize water conservation and drought mitigation. With river flows at “extremely low levels” and reservoirs depleted, the alert underscores a mounting climate challenge for Pakistan, where shifting weather patterns increasingly threaten food and water security.
“The current level of Tarbela Dam is 1,402 feet and 1,061.75 feet in Mangla Dam. Both dams are at a dead level,” the PMD said.
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