Overview
- Groundwater levels are falling by an estimated 3 to 4 feet each year across Balochistan, including the capital.
- Residents in many Quetta neighborhoods now drill 700 to 1,000 feet to access water.
- More than 30,000 tube wells operate in Quetta and nearby districts, with about half unregistered and extracting unchecked.
- Acute shortages are reported in Mastung, Pishin, Kharan, Noshki, Qila Abdullah and Chagai.
- The region’s share of provincial agricultural output has dropped from over 20% to under 10%, prompting calls for stricter regulation and rainwater harvesting.