June 30, 2006	Friday	Jumadi-ul-Sani 3, 1427

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window).

ISLAMABAD, June 29: The government promise to supply clean drinking water to the entire population of 160 million people by the year 2007 is achievable, even though it would be a great challenge in a country that registered 100,000,000 cases of diarrhea and where 250,000 children die annually of diseases associated with bacterial contents in water.

“The target is achievable,” said Dr Ing Andreas Siemer, a German water treatment development expert, who is visiting Pakistan.

The expert who spoke at a water awareness seminar devoted to pure drinking water for all was convinced that the government target was doable.

All it would take is to install a number of membrane type decentralised and portable water filtration machines that even the rural population could run, and the target would be achieved within the stipulated period.

These portable water filtration plant, working on osmosis system, placed at small distances from each other would dot the countryside, and also cater to the needs of seaside areas, considering that Pakistan had huge coastline full of saline waters, said the expert implying that large plants would be needed to do the job in big cities but at big costs.

Referring to experiences gained from the recent October 8 earthquake, he noted the critical necessity of water felt at that time. “Food and water had to be rushed for earthquake survivors at an urgent speed but the need for water was greater because the earthquake had contaminated all sources of water. “No living being could survive without food and water after 48 hours,” the expert observed.

As for many uses of water in various spheres of daily life, Dr Siemer emphasised that clean water was needed in hospitals for health care of patients, and in addition required in big hotels and even homes. “Impure water affected the quality of dishes and towels.

Unclean water makes tumblers and glass wares brittle and splits them in two or more pieces,” he said.

Wholesome water management issues were also focused in the seminar by a Pakistani expert, Zulfiqar, who described the present situation as alarming for public safety due to arsenic contents in water, especially in the water systems of Islamabad and Karachi.