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Jinnah International Airport (JIAP) Karachi, the biggest airport of Pakistan, is providing contaminated and unfiltered water for drinking to the passengers through water coolers fixed at the International, domestic arrival/departure lounges and other parts of the airport.
The concealed water line for airport toilets is also linked with the water coolers on different locations of the airport. Neither any separate line of water for drinking is linked with water coolers nor any water filters are fixed in line internally or externally to filter the contaminated water under supply for drinking.
A few years ago some water filters were fixed at some (not all) water coolers which once filled with filtrate were never replaced by new ones and sooner removed for good without giving any importance, disclosed by one CAA official working at JIAP facilitation desk.
In order to monopolise the selling of mineral water bottles at internal and external shops of JIAP, the CAA least bothers about this important aspect of facilitating passengers with free potable drinking water at all airport areas.
This is below international standard in comparison to free drinking water facilitation at other international airports of the world.
Further, CAA also does not provide disposable plastic glasses for drinking water besides the water coolers.
The glass shelves are hung on walls besides water-coolers always remain empty. Though complimentary disposable glasses are provided to CAA by Mobilink and other firm for the sake of their advertisements, yet the glasses are taken away by CAA officials. Any passenger requiring disposable glass for drinking water is supposed to hold his thirst and contact CAA staff at facilitation desk to beg a glass to fetch a pale of water at arrival departure halls.
It is worth mentioning that CAA is charging each passenger an airport tax of Rs 120 for domestic and Rs 700 for international travel. The payment of airport tax entitles the passengers to free potable drinking water, clean toilets with provision of tissue and liquid soap, air-conditioning, lights, comfortable sitting chairs and sofas with provision of TV channels to view, free local telephone calls, air-conditioned meeting galleries of passengers, exclusive space for unaccompanied minors to sit before embarkation, serviceable conveyor belts and escalators for passengers use and various other facilities by airport management.
However, the CAA is depriving passengers of most of the airport facilities on international standard, causing inconvenience and health hazards due to drinking of contaminated water at the JIAP, a hub of international importance for air travel.
If Prime Minister is requested to direct the DGCA to ensure provision of airport facilities specially free potable drinking water at Jinnah International Airport, Karachi.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2006

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