Solar water dis-infection (SODIS) method was a cost-effective, easy and practicable method among household level water purification methods while the method can be extremely useful for bacterial decontamination of water during the on-going floods.
This was stated by Shahid Mahmood, Director, Community Action Programme (CAP), Faisalabad, Naseer A. Gillani, Chief Water, Planning Commission of Pakistan and Jamshed Ul Hasan, Deputy Chief of Party, Pakistan Safe Drinking Water and Hygiene Promotion Project, USAID spoke at the seminar "safe drinking water through solar water dis-infection (SODIS)", organised by Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) here on Monday.
Shahid Mahmood, while discussing poor system of water pipes, said that there was no concept or system of taps for household water as people's self-made pumping systems contained high levels of contamination water, besides deplorable water storage facilities.
He shared details of a study regarding quality of water conducted in 23 major cities by Pakistan Council for Research in Water Resources (PCRWR), which revealed that the percentage of bacteriological contamination ranges in 40 to 100 percent.
Talking of SODIS, he said it was a good option to purify water from bacterial contamination, as it was a low cost, easy and practical method for getting pathogen free drinking water at household level. He said that pet or glass bottled be filled with water and should be put under sunlight for six hours which eventually vanishes all bacterial contamination making the water safe for drinking.
He said that the CAP initiated the project in Faisalabad city in 2002 in collaboration with Swiss Development Co-operation (SDC) which was the first such innovative experience in the country.
Mahmood said people were facing severe problems regarding drinking water quality, provision of proper sanitation and sewerage facilities, adding that 80 percent water borne diseases attributed to unsafe water, inadequate sanitation hygiene, which includes diarrhoea, cholera, typhoid, hepatitis-A & E, intestinal worms etc.
In his speech, Naseer A. Gilani recommended that water purification methods, like SODIS, needed immediate dissemination at national level so that the affected people in the flood-hit areas are able to decontaminate water through the method. He urged national and international institutions including USAID to join hands with the government to immediately initiate such a campaign besides taking other initiatives.
Talking about government's 'Water for All' programme, he said that it was a comprehensive approach since the overall development process, food security and hunger, health and other such important subjects were linked with water. He urged the need for standardised bottles and materials for performing SODIS method effectively.
Jamshed Ul Hasan, in his address while citing the baseline survey conducted by USAID, lamented that over 80 percent of the population were taking contaminated water. He said technical review of 13 household level methods revealed that SODIS was the best water purification method after the water boiling method.
He said that the USAID has prepared a national behaviour-change communication strategy for Pakistan and now it was trying to develop provincial strategies, besides being engaged in effective implementation of national drinking water policy and preparation of national action plan. He said that it is the need of the hour to make collective efforts to overcome such water-related issues in Pakistan.-PR