RAIN is a blessing of Allah almighty. Therefore it is a cardinal sin that we allow this pure water to go waste. The successful storage and harvesting of rain water can be the solution to many of our short and long-term problems.

Saving rain water in reservoirs will help reduce temperature, decrease air and water born bacterial and viral induced diseases and also cut the government’s costs to provide such services.

There are many cities in the world where the authorities have an elaborate system to store rain water and use it later. Many countries harvesting rain water have reported reduced costs on providing water to citizens. In our region countries like Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka are storing rain water.

Pakistan can do the same as we have the manpower and required technical expertise. All that is required is the will to ensure that no more rain water goes waste.

Initially, the federal government should identify the cities and regions that receive the most rainfall in a year and then chalk out projects to harvest rain water. The project can then be extended to the other cities and regions of Pakistan.

Dr Ali Hassan Naqvi

Karachi

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I AM a school teacher in Karachi. It is pathetic how the city becomes unlivable for days whenever there is rain. The current monsoon spell has served as a stark reminder of our civic authorities’ incompetence.

The uncollected garbage has begun to emanate a foul stench while open manholes and overflowing gutters pose a threat to citizens, especially children. To add to the residents miseries are fallen electricity wires which are death traps for unsuspecting citizens

It is heart-wrenching to see that, instead of enjoying the rain, Karachiites are praying fervently for the rain to stop.

This a request to the civic authorities and the Sindh government to take prompt action to clean up the city and provide a safe environment to the citizens particularly in the areas inhabited by under-privileged people.

Kauser Ahmed

Karachi

Published in Dawn, July 31st, 2019