All industries require water, some industries like dyeing, tanning, printing, iron and steel, consume more water than others. In areas where the rainfall is relatively high like the northern parts of the country or where there are large rivers, access to water resources is fairly easy. Places like Peshawar, Lahore, Faisalabad, and other have adequate water for industrial uses. Industries located in low rainfall areas like Sindh and Balochistan, that are also far away from major rivers, suffer from acute water shortages. An assessment of the situation can be made after examining the position of various industrial zones throughout the country.
Karachi, the largest industrial center of the nation, requires a massive quantity of water to run its industries. The industries are located in various parts of the city. The water supplied through pipes is insufficient to meet industrial needs. A large quantity of water has to be supplied by tankers which operate throughout the industrial plants near the Malir and Layari Rivers have bored wells into the river beds in order to tap additional water sources.
Initially tapped sweet water, it is becoming increasingly saline, either the saline water is coming from the ocean, which is nearby, or from the pockets of saline water in the subsoil. A number of industries have had to install desalination plants which have added to the cost of production.
Pakistan steel in Karachi does not suffer from water shortages because the large quantities of water it requires is supplied by the Karachi Water Board. The steel mills store the water in several large reservoirs that have been built for the purpose.