Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Saqib Nisar remarked on Saturday that the provision of clean drinking water is the responsibility of Sindh government, while hearing the water pollution case at the Karachi registry. Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah was summoned to the court to give a timeframe for resolving the water pollution crisis in the province. It is saddening that most of the times apex court has to push concerned authorities of government to fulfill their responsibilities. Court once again had to call elected politicians to remind them that providing safe drinking water to people is also one of their responsibilities.
Various studies have disclosed the alarmingly high levels of arsenic, way above the WHO recommended level of 10 microgammes per litre, in the country’s groundwater putting lives of over 60 million people at risk. Potable water is contaminated to the extent that consuming it leads to a number of serious diseases. The consumption of contaminated water leads to gastrointestinal diseases like cholera, polio, E.coli and botulism. In a recently conducted survey of over two dozen government colleges of Karachi, it was observed that children are drinking unsafe water. Colleges are being supplied unsafe potable water and children who are considered future of the nation are forced to drink unhygienic water.
Mixing of sewage into water, throwing industrial waste in fresh water resources and uncontrolled dumping of solid waste have contributed in contaminating ground’s water in the country. Pakistan is already on the verge of becoming water scarce county, and we are further polluting our underground water. According to various surveys, high percentage of all illnesses in Pakistan and around 40 percent of all deaths were caused by water borne diseases. Another study conducted by UNICEF concluded that thirty percent of hospital beds country-wide are occupied by patients suffering from water-borne diseases.
It is indeed one of the prime responsibilities of the government to provide clean water to residents. But it seems authorities are not willing to improve the absolutely pitiful state of drinking water. It is a serious matter and urgent measures are required in order to provide safe drinking water to people. We hope seriousness of this particular issue must be realized and authorities will focus all their efforts towards dealing with it. There is dire need to look into the serious matter; water lines in the city must be replaced.