Tahira Irfa
Access to safe water is a fundamental need as it is not only a precondition for a healthy life but it is also a basic human right. Contaminated water jeopardizes both the physical and social health of all people which is an affront to human dignity. At the same time, water is a scarce resource and its shortage usually results in economic and health crises. This can be assessed from global trends as well as from Pakistan’s national and local struggles for better access to safe drinking water. Pakistan is also facing shortage of potable water in all provinces including Punjab. Comprising 144 tehsils in 36 districts, Punjab is the most populous of the five provinces of Pakistan, with an estimated population of over 100 million people. Main drinking water source is groundwater in the province, which once was considered to be safe but over the years it is increasingly found to be contaminated with bacteriological and chemical pollutants. Situation is worst in rural areas where access to tap water is very low – 13 percent – as compared to 43 percent in urban areas of Punjab and the quality of drinking water remains substandard as the major sources are hand pumps and turbines supplying contaminated or brackish water.Water contamination in rural areas is mainly caused due to discharge of domestic sewage directly or indirectly into water bodies, open defecation, agricultural run-off during rainy season containing chemical fertilizers and pesticides and effluents from agro-based industries. Majority of population in the province is exposed to hazards of drinking unsafe and polluted water from both surface and ground water sources. Contaminated water is a source of many diseases including diarrhea, typhoid, intestinal worms and hepatitis. Four major contaminants in drinking water sources are bacteriological, arsenic, nitrate and fluoride. We need to take every conceivable step to provide clean water to people along-with the assistance of International companies in Water Sector which is highly desired and encouraged. Past have witness much lapses at our part nevertheless lessons learnt from past mistakes will be helpful now to complete this project and provide people with clean water. Beatific in this regard is the recently held International consultative session headed by CM Punjab in which all the previous lapses which were the reason behind delay in Khadim-e-Alaa Clean Water Project in Rural Area were discussed and also further the measurements with International Consultation were finalized. Expert opinions being received in the consultative session is quite helpful to comprehend roadmap which will lead us to the successful execution of this project. CM himself will monitor the project that gives us hope of its timely completion and all being well that its quality won’t be compromised. This Project has been prepared to ensure the supply of the clean drinking water to the whole population of the province and this project has been launched from Bahawalpur Division of the South Punjab. Later this project will beexpanded to the central and northern areas of the province in phases, and provision of the clean drinking water will be ensured to the every household of the province. It was actually Three years ago when Punjab government prepared a comprehensive plan to provide clean drinking water to the people, but the departments concerned unfortunately could not make progress on this public welfare project due to nepotism, lack of determination and incompetence, and no considerable progress could be made. Only 80 water filtration plants have been installed in Bahawalpur district of the south Punjab and this progress is unsatisfactory. Initially NesPak was made consultant, but it committed many mistakes and it was removed. Later ECSP was made consultant and now services of international consultants have been obtained. Punjab Government has allocated 30billion Rs. Fortunately this misappropriation has been figured out earlier and fixed which will now lead into the smooth completion of project in stipulated time. In Pakistan most of the community is relying on underground water reservoirs which is unfortunately polluted and this polluted water is causing many diseases. Currently 80 water purification plants are working in Bahawalpur district however1400 inactive rural water supply schemes are planned to activate soon. Clean drinking water is one of the basic requirements for healthy living and we all have to play our part devotedly to provide this basic need to our people.