Dying of thirst

The unavailability of clean drinking water is becoming a serious threat in the country. Access to potable water is a fundamental human right. However, people are forced to drink contaminated water because it has no other option. According to statistics, safe drinking water is only available for 15 percent of the people in urban areas and 18 percent of the people in rural areas.
Every year, thousands of Pakistanis die as a result of diseases which stem from their drinking water. It is the responsibility of our government to make sure that all people receive safe drinking water. There are scattered local departments working on this issue but they are hardly supervised or held accountable. There is a dire need to make a centralised water management body in every province that must be held responsible for assessing the needs of the local communities, funding the local departments and resolving all water-related issues. The government should prioritise health and education above other sectors and development projects.
Rida-e-Zainab Naqvi
Islamabad