To act before an imminent threat hits, somehow, is not part of our officialdom's planning process. The latest example of the problem is the spread of life threatening amoeba, naegleria fowleri, which claimed several lives in Karachi earlier this month and has now surfaced in Islamabad. A press report points out that the amoeba is a free living microscopic organism which enters the body through nose, causing a rare but severe and fatal infection in the brain that kills. And that not much is known about its trend. What is known is that this 'brain eating organism' is a single cell organism found in fresh and warm water.
People can catch it while washing face or, more likely, in the course of nasal rinsing during ablution. So far there are no reported cases of the disease in Islamabad. But its discovery in the city's water supply is a clear and present danger to public health.
The cliché 'prevention is better than cure' could not be more relevant. Going by available information, prevention is the only way to avoid trouble as there is no cure for the fatal disease. The best bet against it is adoption of precautionary measures both on individual and civil authorities' level. Faces, of course, have to be washed and all ablutions performed. The only way to stay out of trouble is to use water which is either boiled or chlorinated. Experts warn that filtration is also unsafe. Given the low level of awareness in this society about matters of hygiene as also poor conditions in which majority of the population lives, it is too much to expect that most people will switch over to boiled water only. Needless to say, those in charge of civic affairs have the main responsibility to keep water supplies free of disease-causing bacteria and organisms. A simple but effective solution prevalent in the past in this country's major cities was to disinfect water with chlorine. Like so much else that has suffered decay and deterioration over time, the practice has since long been discontinued.
Islamabad's water testing laboratory has now recommended 'proper' and regular chlorination of the capital's water supply. The advice about 'proper' use merits special attention in view of the fact that excessive exposure to chlorine is a health risk. It must not exceed the recommended 0.5ppm level. The present issue is a reminder also that the population explosion coupled with a high rate of rural-to-urban areas migration is putting immense pressure on urban civic infrastructure. Pakistan is the most urbanised country in South Asia. Problems such as the present one are only going to increase with the passage of time. Provincial governments and city civic authorities must take notice of the new challenges and plan ahead to deal with any future eventualities.