Pakistan receives record snowfall in winter
Heavy snowfall to help raise water level in country facing acute water shortage
A view from Maidan, Lower Dir district of the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on February 5, 2019 as Pakistan's northern and northwestern parts have witnessed record snowfall last month which would help raise the water table in the country. ( Imranullah - Anadolu Agency )
By Islamuddin Sajid
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan
Pakistan's northern and northwestern parts have witnessed record snowfall last month which would help raise the water table in the country, officials said.
"During the last one month the country's northern hilly areas received heavy snowfall -- up to six to seven feet," Abdul Wali Yousafzai, a senior officer in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa irrigation department told Anadolu Agency
This is the heaviest snowfall in 48 years, he added.
According to the met department, the country's northern mountains received heavy snowfall in January and the first week of February.
"Snowfall and rain will not only help to raise our water table but also be beneficial for our forests that had been affected by a drought," he added.
Prime Minister Imran Khan welcomed the rain and snow calling it a "blessing from God".
"[...] the rainfall will raise the water table while the snow will melt into our river," Khan tweeted.
Pakistan is running out of fresh water at an alarming rate, experts say, which could spell disaster for the agriculture-based economy.
Anadolu Agency website contains only a portion of the news stories offered to subscribers in the AA News Broadcasting System (HAS), and in summarized form. Please contact us for subscription options.
