The National Drought Mon­itoring Centre, part of the Pakistan Mete­orological Department (PMD), has warned that drought-like conditions currently prevailing in parts of Sindh and Balochistan may exacerbate and cause water stress in cultivated lands due to limited supply of irrigation water for Rabi crops.

According to an advisory issued by the centre, the situation has emerged due to overall below than average rainfall in the country from October 2020 to January 2021. “The main thrust was in Balochistan (-73.2 per cent) and Sindh (-70.2 per cent),” it said.