ISLAMABAD   -    The Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) has initiated 10 new projects which would provide about 35,000 job opportunities during the construction, a Wapda source said. Wapda has initiated 10 projects aimed to enhance the gross water storage capacity in the country from 13 million acre-feet (MAF) to more than 24 million MAF which would be also sufficient to irrigate another 1.6 million acres of land. The Wapda projects include five dams, three hydropower projects, one canal, and one water supply scheme that were under construction which would be completed in a phased manner from 2023 to 2029. Diamer Bhasha Dam, Mohmand Dam, Dasu Hydropower Project, Nai Gaj Dam, Kachhi Canal Extension, Sindh Barrage, and K-IV Project were among the projects, said official sources. The per capita water availability in Pakistan had come down from 5650 cubic meters to an alarming level of 908 cubic meters per annum, pushing us to the stage of a water-scarce country. In order to tackle the impending water scarcity, we need to have more water storage besides practicing good water conservation and management strategies, he said.