Lahore's Groundwater Depletion-A Review of the Aquifer Susceptibility to Degradation and its Consequences

Lahore is provincial capital of Punjab and 2nd largest city of Pakistan. It has a long history of groundwater usage and over abstraction with less aquifer recharge which has led to groundwater level recession substantially. This paper reviews the hydrology of Lahore and summarizes the results of various hydrological researches conducted for Lahore. Moreover in this paper, susceptibility of Lahore aquifer resulting due to pollution coming into and reduction in recharge resources and its consequences have been addressed. Among the main recharge sources of the Lahore aquifer, average precipitation is not adequate enough to arrest the decline in groundwater levels and river Ravi remains almost dry except in monsoon season. Peizometric levels recession, land subsidence and salt water intrusion has also contributed to its degradation. Developments like rapid increase in population, urban migration and industrialization has increased the reliance on groundwater supply manifold. On the other hand, the urbanization, industrialization and land development have reduced the recharge as a significant portion of the land has become impermeable. Due to less consideration paid towards aquifer protection in Lahore, these impacts have been diagnosed long after their occurrence. Therefore susceptibility of Lahore aquifer to degradation has become a cornerstone of its protection policies. With the current extraction rate, increasing demographic growth and land development rates; it is more likely in future that this declining trend will end up in exhausted aquifer. Groundwater conditions both in terms of quantity and quality are likely to worsen in near future if the situation remains persistent. Critical review concludes that energy crisis does not only mean load shedding it may be water shedding which is knocking at the doors of Lahore. Therefore there is an urgent and emergent need to solve the wicked water issues in Lahore.