Water scarcity

Although water is one of the basic necessities, in Pakistan around 38.5 million people have no access to clean and safe drinking water. Water unfit for consumption has been a never-ending problem in the country’s slums and underdeveloped areas. However, now, the same problem has swiftly penetrated in big cities. The country’s federal capital, Islamabad, also faces the problem of the water scarcity. A large number of people can be seen at filtration plants queued with bottles in hands. The CDA has established around 38 filtration plants at different parts of the city, but most of them are either out of order or have become a source of contaminated water because of the lack of care. According to the director general of the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR), Lubna Bukhari, regular chlorination is required at filtration plants to keep water clean, but the same is not implemented by the CDA.

According to experts, water-borne diseases like diarrhoea, typhoid, worm infections, hepatitis A, hypertension, birth defects; skin, heart and kidney related diseases are on rise in the federal capital. These can, however, be prevented if people consume boiled water. The CDA is urged to take necessary steps to maintain the water filtration plants to avoid water borne diseases and to provide safe and pure drinking water to the people of city.

Kiran Fatima

Islamabad