| 08 February 2005 | Tuesday | 28 Zilhaj 1425 |
Water contamination
Down under and out
On her first visit to the Middle East as US Secretary of State, Ms Condoleezza Rice has asked Israel to take "hard decisions" in the interest of peace in the region. Her visit comes on the eve of the crucial meeting in Cairo today between President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Calling it "a time of opportunity", Ms Rice asked Israel to take steps to promote peace and ensure the emergence of a democratic Palestinian state.
The Cairo meeting takes place against the background of some hopeful developments. Last month, Mr Abbas was elected president by a big margin, and he has deployed security forces in the Gaza Strip to hold hardliners in check. At the same time, a hawk like Mr Sharon has given indications that he, too, is thinking in terms of peace.
If things proceed this way, there will be hope that the bloodshed in the holy land could end and a Palestinian state come into being within a practical time-frame. It all depends on how the Cairo summit goes and whether Mr Sharon is able to suppress his expansionist instincts and instead choose a realistic and peaceful course for the future.
After meeting Mr Sharon and other Israeli leaders, Ms Rice said the Quartet which crafted the roadmap - America, Russia, the EU and the UN - "stood ready" to help again. While this is welcome, one cannot but recall the fate of the roadmap, which was unveiled by President George Bush in April 2003. It provided for a complete halt to all settlements activity, a withdrawal of Israeli troops from the occupied territory, and a Palestinian state to emerge by 2005.
However, America showed no interest in following the progress on the plan. In fact, with an eye on the second term, the Bush administration kowtowed to the Zionist lobby. Receiving Mr Sharon at the White House, President Bush announced that Israel would retain "some" land in the West Bank after withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.
America also did not rap Mr Sharon for his depredations in the Gaza Strip, the targeted killings, the demolition of houses and the murder of innocent Palestinian men, women and children. The roadmap was finally scuttled when Mr Bush said the 2005 deadline for a Palestinian state was "unrealistic".
If the peace process is to be revived, the new secretary of state must examine the reasons why the one unveiled in 2003 failed. If the US had kept Israel on the leash and seen to it that all provisions of the peace plan were faithfully implemented, then a Palestinian state would have come into being by 2005, and the two sides would today be negotiating the status of Al Quds. What will be the timeframe of the revived peace process no one can tell. But the crucial issue is whether there will be a change of heart in Mr Sharon.
He is a hardliner, has been responsible for not one but several massacres, and by faith does not believe in the existence of a Palestinian state. He is a firm believer in Greater Israel, and evidently thinks this is the right moment when he can achieve his aim, because the world's only superpower is with him, no matter what he does. Unless the US sees to it that Mr Sharon does not exercise a veto on America's policy for the Middle East, there is little possibility of an independent Palestinian state coming into being.
Water contamination
The results of a detailed five-year official survey to monitor the quality of drinking water in 23 Pakistani cities are very disturbing and warrant immediate attention of federal, provincial and municipal authorities to work together to improve the situation. Data collected by the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) found that water samples from the cities surveyed had unacceptably high levels of bacteriological contamination.
In most cases, upwards of half of all water samples contained bacterial contamination. No wonder then that two-fifths of all hospital patients are suffering from water-borne diseases and such ailments continue to kill thousands of Pakistanis, especially children, every year.
The survey also shows that when it comes to provision of drinking water, the problem is not solely of accessibility or availability but that the water which is supplied to people is often not fit for human consumption. Contamination levels can be reduced only if there is a concerted effort by government and civic agencies to strictly monitor the quality of water supplied to the people.
The monitoring has to begin at the source such as a river or a lake, which in many cases have become contaminated themselves by an inflow of domestic and industrial pollutants. Both were factors behind the many deaths caused by contaminated drinking water in Hyderabad district last year. Proper and controlled use of chlorine can help contain the bacterial contamination to a large extent. As for municipal authorities, their responsibility lies in ensuring that overhead water storage tanks, often the cause of severe contamination, are regularly emptied and cleaned.
Then, there is the issue of maintaining a water distribution network which is relatively free from leakages bringing in outside elements of contamination, such as leaking sewage lines or industrial runoff, and is able to maintain the purity level of the supply. Pipes that are rusty or close to sewage lines should be replaced and regularly checked for leaks and seepage. In addition, people should be advised through a mass awareness campaign to always boil water for several minutes before drinking it.
Down under and out
Pakistan were not expected to put the Sydney Harbour on fire when they embarked on a tour of Australia late last year. They were whitewashed 0-3 in the Test series and went down 0-2 in the Victoria Bitter finals. The Pakistani squad was nearly the best the Cricket Board could muster under the circumstances. It was hoped that it would give a far better account of itself than it actually did. Australia had a man for every occasion, be it in batting, bowling or fielding.
However, they were not half as good as Pakistan made them look. Glenn McGrath surpassed himself both in the Test and in the one-day series. In the Perth Test match, Pakistan surrendered to him without even token resistance in the corridor of uncertainty just on or outside the off stump. They capitulated by a massive 491-run margin, their heaviest defeat in Test matches.
Pakistan had virtually no top order which put an inordinate burden on the middle and the lower order. Skipper Inzamam, not fully fit, and Yousaf Youhana did what they could under extremely trying circumstances but, unfortunately, their best was not good enough against a supremely fit opposition. As against this, the Pakistanis were found lacking in application and grit. Australia were a better side by far and they won deservedly. There was not great dishonour in losing to them but certainly Pakistan could have gone down fighting.
Pakistan now go to India to play three Test matches and five one-day games. If it was speed in Australia, it will be spin bowling that Pakistan will have to contend with across the border. It will be a different ball game altogether. The Australian crowds were sporting; in India they may not be so. Therefore, the tour will be a test not only of skill and stamina but also of character.