#WATER ISSUE IN PAKISTAN
Dr.Hayam Qayyoum
Geographically Pakistan has been privileged to grow all kinds of crops to support the economy of the country with 94% of utilization of water whereas 2% of water is used for drinking and rest is used by the industries comprised of 3.5 million acre feet. The population growth rate of Pakistan is 3% per year that has increased pressure on water resources both in qualitative and quantitative terms. The water is lessened from 5,260-cubm in 1951 to 1,100 m3 till 550 m3 meter in 2025.
Water supply is of two types, one is surface water (10%) and the other ground water (90%) which is available at shallow depth i.e. 3 to 6m from the ground surface. Most of this water is used for agriculture.70% of the population of Pakistan depends on ground water for drinking and domestic use. The pattern of rain fall does not matches the crop water requirement therefore the irrigation is done through surface water of Indus Basin Irrigation System and ground water of underlying Indus plain aquifer. The excessive use of pumping aquifer has led the country into lowering of water table, increase in pumping cost and saline water intrusion resulting damaged crop and food shortage. Pakistan has 50,000MW of hydro-power potential but merely harnessing 14% of the total requirement of 20,000MW. There is per annum increase in demand of electricity by 70%.
Safe drinking water is a right of every one and Government must ensure its safety and provision. The prime importance is access, availability and sustainability of safe and clean drinking water to the population of country. Drinking Water in Pakistan have four major types of contamination; biological contamination (Bacteria; E. coli), chemical contamination (fluorides, Iron, Nitrates and hardness), toxic contamination (Arsenic, lead, cyanide) and physical contamination (PH, Turbidity, colour, taste, odor). The Baluchistan, South, central and Northern Punjab, NWFP/FATA/NA, Sindh are using ground water for drinking. According to Pakistan council of research in water resources the water quality monitoring report (2000 to 2006), 4192 sites of water from different regions of Pakistan has been selected to analyze the quality of water. These sites of water contain 34.6% Bacteria, 11.8% bacteria and Turbidity, 2.25% Arsenic, 1.78% Arsenic and bacteria, 4.14% fluoride and bacteria, 4.25% Nitrate and Bacteria, 10.28% TDS and Bacteria. There were 15 sites of water with high Iron concentration, 231 with high hardness value, 162 sites with high chloride, sodium sulfate and bacteria. The report has shown that 85% of water samples were found to be contaminated. These water samples were collected from wells, tap water, tube wells, hand pumps, stream water, spring water, windmills, bore, cistern, reservoir, karez, dams, injection and donkey pumps, and water supply schemes.
Safe drinking water after biological, chemical, physical and toxic treatment is supplied to the citizens. The quality of safe water has international standardization like; WHO guidelines, US-EPA guidelines, PSQCA guidelines, International bottled water association Standards, and Food and drug administration standards. In Pakistan reasons of contaminated water are;
- Cross –contamination (water pipelines leakage and crossing over the sewerage lines causing diarrheal diseases)
- Rusted water pipeline are adding rust to the drinking water
- Lack of Periodical cleanliness of tube wells, wells and reservoirs carrying high concentration of Arsenic
- Monopoly of Private sector in Water filtration plants, water testing kits, disinfectants and treatment technologies (Each plant ranging from Rs: 2 lacks to Rs: 24 lacks)
- Use of substandard chemicals for treatment in filtration plants
- Lack of trained staff and less educated employees unable to maintain the quality of water
- Lack of recycling process to convert low cost and waste water to useful and reusable water for agriculture, domestic and industrial purposes
- Availability of polluted surface water and ground water by insecticides, DDT and pesticides sprays
- Lowering of water table by water logging and salinity
- Mismanagement of solid waste from industries, septic tanks and sanitation added to surface and ground Water responsible adds to sixty percent death in children.
- Non availability of funds at local government level to manage and maintain the quality of water supply
- Lack of proper ground water monitoring
- Lack of establishment of Water testing laboratories at district level
At Governamnet level no proper accountability and measures are taken like;
- Lack of Standard operation procedures for planning ,designing,implementing,operation and maintenance for water supply schemes
- Lack of articulation maintenance or enforcement to follow the drinking water quality stanards
- Lack of awareness campaigns on safe drinking water by Ministry
- Lack of standardization ,surveillance and monitoring policy for bottled water organizations
- Lack of Public-Private partnering in the country for water filteration projects
- Lack of penalties and pinalization to vendors or supplier that are providing below standard water or below prescribed water standards
- Lack of random testing,surveillance ,annual survey and monitoring at Federal and Provincial level
- Lack of regular review and updating of drinking water policy by governenmt or any local body or committee for implemnetation
- Failure of overall guideline and legislative framework at national level and allocation of funds for underserved and disadvantages areas
- Lack of financial assistance and funds allocation to the Provincial and Municpial level
- Lack of interest and attraction of Non government organization in safe water drinking projects
- Lack of stability of political system between provicial and federal government that demotivates and demoralises the staff at the local end
- Lack of implementation of Acts at all levels(Punjab soil reclamation Act 1952,WAPDA Act 1958,Baluchistan ground water Rights Ordinance1978,Pujab local governmnet Ordinance1979,Pakistan environmental agency Act 1996,PIDA Act 1997)
Filteration and sustainablity of safe drinking water is an issue that takes centuries to be resolved.
