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CJ takes suo motu notice, seeks data on usage of water by mineral water companies
Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar on Friday took suo motu notice of the exploitation of water resources by mineral water companies operating in the country, and sought data regarding water usage by these companies from concerned departments.
The chief justice issued orders to this effect during a hearing of the Katas Raj case. He has directed the companies to submit the data by Friday night (tonight).
CJP Nisar also directed the attorney general and all advocate generals to convey his directives to mineral water companies.
"Water is very precious for us. Mineral water companies are acquiring water free of cost after installing turbines and then selling it at exorbitant prices," he remarked.
"We will take all possible measures to preserve water," he added.
The chief justice said that the case will be heard on Saturday in the SC's Lahore registry.
SC invites experts' opinion on water conservation
In a separate case on the water shortage in the country, the Supreme Court invited the recommendations of experts regarding water conservation, with a view to forming a special committee on the issue.
CJP Nisar, who headed the three-judge bench, warned that if water is not conserved, it could one day "become more expensive than oil, gas and gold".
"Water should not be used so excessively," he said. "Nations always conserve their water [resources], and we will also have to take measures to do the same."
The chief justice held "Punjab officials responsible for wasting valuable water", saying: "Their total water cess is two billion but they manage to recover even less than a billion."
Justice Umar Atta Bandial pointed out that the irrigation system in "Pakistan is very old".
"A lot of water gets wasted due to sewerage and leakage, and this needs to be reviewed from scratch," he said. "We will have to hear from those experts who have conducted a lot of research on underground water."
Justice Ijazul Ahsan stressed "the need to make Pakistan's canal system more effective as well".
Comments (26) Closed
Good one, one of the root cause of the water crises
CJP please take suo motu notice on the exploitation of water resources by Tanker Mafia as they are the main culprits specially in Karachi.
Thank you sir
Another suo motu taken by CJP, in this time against water companies! What happened to previous suo motus, what actions were taken and why results were not published? Public want to know.
Read please
Mineral water companies are mining water and selling to the people who are deprived by the Government, by not operating its own water filtration plants and safe water projects. Interestingly, Government is the biggest purchaser of such bottled waters.
Please read
Greater Karachi water supply project was started about 50 years back but never succeeded in arresting the population explosion of Karachi, much exceeding the planned development of facilities.
CJP please take suo motu notice on exuberant fees charged by private schools in Punjab.
Good step. Rauf Klasra & Amir Mateen raised this issue first.
@Harmony-1© Did they? People, especially ordinary citizens, have been talking about it already for a while. But, I thought Abdul Malik highlighted this issue just a couple of days back in his show.
The only man of taking the responsibilities of nation, all the other in past have just wasted our resources..
Water used by bottling companies is probably less that 1%. Agriculture is the main user - and the inefficient flood irrigation is the worst possible misuse of water
I think the water sold is just filtered water and not mineral water. Just compare the labels of the local brands with some European brands to see the difference.
When Cjp takes notice of a big money making setup; I think of him with a Bat hitting the big companies pinata resulting in the ill gotten wealth falling to the ground.
Why didn't he take the action against tanker mafia and illegal hydrants? they steel comparatively many times more water than the mineral water companies.
@Uza Syed - Abdul Malik too but they all work in the same channel and those two mentioned it last week.
This is the education which we need to give to the people of Pakistan because still the nation is not aware of the critical situation. The media should do a regular programme in the prime time about this issue rather than sitting with bunch of people either talking against government or opposition on political front. This is time now electronic media should play their positive role.
How about closing all the car wash locations?
Interesting comments...is our check and balance works on the principle of suo mutos...each time when suo muto is taken the institutions and the agencies who are supposed to over see the affairs should be questioned...why do we have institutes and agencies when such gross negligence are being allowed..
Noy CJP is the only hope.
CJ sir please take a serious notice on waste products which are thrown into the streams ,lakes,rivers .Which is a damaging cause of serious decieses.
Yes, source and the quality of the water so important for public's health. Thanks a lot CJ for your getting involved in this crucial commodity. Respectfully
Some twenty years back, I was told by a person who had one acre of land in Port Qasim area that he had leased out the same to a multi-national company who will just draw water from the plot. It was a shock as I was even then buying bottled water from the same company for their brand thinking it to be mineral water. I later learnt that most of the water suppliers with high brand names and on going publicity just use either underground or tap water and sell the same to the public at large as mineral water. I would suggest to the supreme court to take up this matter and order supplies of only mineral water without any other sources being used for increasing their sales volumes and thereby profits befooling the people in general. Another consideration which needs the court's attention is the chlorination process of tap water which was being used in the past for drinking purposes as well without hesitation from any side about the quality of the same. This will result in cutting costs of the residents of the country who purchase bottled water thinking the same to be mineral water which it is not.
Looks like the only person working and paying attention is the CJP.
Why do not you take suo motu notice against Punjab who is stealing water of Sindh from Indus River?