‘Conservation of freshwater reserves vital for Pakistan’

Karachi
“There is a dire need to safeguard our water resources on an everyday basis,” expressed The Consumers Eye Pakistan (TCEP) Chairman Umar Ghauri on Monday during an awareness walk, organised by Consumer Pakistan and Consumer Voice Pakistan, to commemorate the 23rd World Water Day.
Highlighting the importance of sustaining life on earth, he suggested that immediate attention be paid on conserving dwindling freshwater resources.
“Water is easily the most important element of the world; Pakistan was once blessed with abundant freshwater resources but unfortunately now, according to a World Bank report, we rank among the top 17 countries facing water scarcity,” said Ghauri.
Condemning the practice of selling bottled water at exorbitant rates, he added that today nearly one billion inhabitants of the developing world did not have easy access to clean drinking water.
He also highlighted the plight of the inhabitans of Thar who had to go through an excruiciating search for water on a dailty basis whereas expressed disappointment over water-borne diseases limiting the true potential of the area residents.
“If the global population continued to waste this important source of life at such an alarming pace, our water taps are surely to run dry one day,” Ghauri said while appealing to the concerned authorities to build dams and water reservoirs to save future needs.
Consumer Pakistan Vice President Aqib Shahid, appreciating Ghauri for his efforts assured that his organisation would fully cooperate for the sake of protection of consumer rights.
He claimed that at least 40 percent of Pakistanis did not have access to clean water, however, the statistics worsened when it came to the rural areas, “Around 90 percent of the population living in rural areas does not have access to clean drinking water,” Shahid said.
Annual rainfall and water stored underground were increasingly becoming the only sources available to meet the shortfall for both the people as well as the livestock, he added.
Consumer Voice Pakistan President Rasim Khan said while addressing the participants said the country’s water sources were at risk; the 5,500 cubic metres per annum per capita availability of water had been reduced to less than 1,100 cubic meters per annum. “Not just the quantity but also the quality of water had greatly deteriorated as well.”