'Government duty-bound to provide safe drinking water'

Speakers at a seminar were unanimous in their opinion that the government has to provide safe drinking water, which is their basic right.
The seminar "The killing drinking water, state's role and responsibilities", organised by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) here, on Monday provoked a heated debate on the issue, particularly on the privatisation of water utilities, which was opposed by the audience.
They said privatisation of water is not an acceptable solution to the problem. It is the responsibility of the state to meet basic needs of the people, which are inevitable for life.
Supporting their point of view, attendees of the seminar rejected the proposal of speakers on the ground that private companies are only looking after their profits. They argued the poor in the country would not be able to buy expensive water. Moreover, the privatisation of water has failed in many countries, they added.
Nils Rosemann, foreign development consultant, Tariq Masoud Malik, The Network, Mirza Mohammad Ramzan, DFID, UK from Faisalabad and Jamilur Rehman, director, Water Supply, CDA, discussed in detail the state of clean drinking water in Pakistan and its related issues.
Nils Rosemann said right of water is closely linked to the right to food, as safe, clean drinking water is an essential need. Yet, over 1.1 billion people in the world are not connected to a modern water supply system. Over 2.4 billion people do not have adequate sanitation and two billion cases of diarrhoeas are recorded every year in the world.
Over five million people, mostly children and babies, die from water-related diseases every year - largely because the food is mixed with unsafe, unclean drinking water, he maintained.
The right to water does not mean free water should be given to everyone, but it does mean that ways should be found to ensure that everyone, even the very poorest have physical and economic access to a basic minimum quantity and quality of water, he added.
His study on water issues in Pakistan, though based on data collected in 2003, is still valid. The situation has still not changed: rather it has worsened, he said. Safe drinking water is inaccessible to 76.5 percent of people in rural areas and 70 percent in urban areas. Every year, 200,000 children in Pakistan die of diarrhoeal diseases.
He suggested three-track strategy and water governance to solve the water crisis in Pakistan. He recommended purification, pollution control and improvement and maintenance in existing networks as a short-term strategy. He advocated local knowledge and water management as a long-term solution. Also, he raised the issue of improving water governance, including regulation of groundwater extraction and use. While all of these three tracks need sufficient investment in water sector, he feared if required investment were not made, it would be a human rights violation.
Tariq Masood Malik said people were dying from drinking contaminated water but there was a apathy on the part of the government. There are five to six government agencies and ministries dealing with water but unfortunately keeping in view its importance there is no single authority dealing with it. There are policies but have not been implemented. He said the government is paying lip service and nothing has happened on the ground.
He deplored no proper consultative process is adopted in devising the national water policy. He also criticised the government decision to provide 6,000 water filtration plants, covering nearly all union councils in the country by 2007, and said it was not a solution to the problem. The operational and maintenance cost of plants are very high.
Director Water Supply, CDA, Jamilur Rehman briefed the seminar about the CDA's initiatives to produce and supply clean drinking water. He discussed in details sources and kinds of waterborne diseases.
He said the CDA took extra effort, tested and cross-tested water before it reaches consumers. He said the CDA was supplying 100 percent pure water after its proper treatment in accordance with the WHO standards. He said, besides CDA's own testing, the National Institute for Health (NIH) and Pakistan Council for Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) were also periodically cross-checking the water.
He urged citizens to clean their water tanks at least twice a year, which is one of the main factors of contaminated water.
Mirza Mohammad Ramzan associated with DFID water and sanitation project Faisalabad also shared his experiences and lessons learned.
Expressing concern over its unavailability and increase in waterborne health problems, they demanded of the government to ensure supply of clean drinking water to masses. Some of the experts also demanded the drinking water be declared a basic human right in Pakistan.