Thaindian News

Islamabad, Mar 22(ANI): As many as 72 million Pakistanis out of a 180-million population do not have access to safe drinking water as the country observes World Water Day today.

According to Environment Ministry sources, 72 million Pakistanis- 44 per cent of the country’s population- are deprived of access to safe drinking water.

“This paucity of clean drinking water is more visible in rural areas where up to 90 percent inhabitants are deprived of their basic right. On the other side, only three percent of Pakistan’s sweet water resources are used for household purposes and drinking,” the Daily Times quoted sources, as saying.

While on one hand there is scarcity of water, on the other hand the available water is prone to various biological, chemical and physical contaminants, creating a dire need to purify and filter the available water in order to ensure protection from water born diseases and disorders.

The ever-increasing growth of the population in Pakistan has worsened the situation, and traces of multiple deadly rudiments- including human faeces- have been found in water by laboratory reports.

This situation shows the height of criminal neglect exhibited by Pakistani civic bodies towards the public right of safe drinking water, as the provision of pure water to all people by the government is not only a basic need and precondition for a healthy life but also a vital human right of every person.

Pakistan’s water quality ranks 80th out of 122 nations, due to which the government has to spend about 20 billion rupees annually on medication to prevent water borne diseases.

It has been learnt that the majority of the Pakistan population is destined to use or drink from unkempt and polluted water system, therefore, increasing the number of terminal diseases like Hepatitis. (ANI)