Pure drinking water

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), 3.4 million people die every year because of water borne diseases. Clean drinking water, a prerequisite basic human right like all other human rights, is not available to vast majority of population in Pakistan. According to a report of the PCRWR, about 89 percent Pakistani population drink contaminated water. According to the UN, 40 percent of deaths are reported because of contaminated drinking water.

Both ground and surface drinking water are polluted by toxic metals and pesticides. This causes life threatening diseases like diarrhoea, cholera, typhoid, fever, dysentery, shigellosis and even hepatitis. WHO has put forward various quality check parameters for drinking water. These involve various physical, chemical and biological tests to meet the desired standards of water quality. The government needs to take measures for the provision of clean drinking water to the population.

M Maaz Mehboob

Karachi