THIS refers to the article ‘Scorching heat’(May 14), which talked about a resident of Lyari who could not take a bath to beat the heat because the water supply was rationed. The article suggested, citing a professor from the NED University, out-of-the-box thinking for the problem, such as grey water recycling, dry latrines and dry car washes.

In this regard, I would like to propose a solution. Lyari lies next to the Lyari river that remains filled with sewage round the year. However, sand and soil act as natural filters for contaminated water, removing sediments and chemicals. Solar-powered wells can be installed on the banks of the river to draw underground water from the deep. This water may not be fit for drinking, but it can be used for everything else.

Another potential solution is to make seawater usable through desalination. Lyari lies about a kilometre away from the Arabian Sea. Many countries the world over desalinate seawater and use it even for drinking. In Pakistan, desalination is currently being done to provide drinking water in Thar. There are a number of other areas in the country where the subsoil water is saline and can be converted to potable water through desalination.

Perhaps, as part of masters’ or bachelors’ projects, universities in the country may ask their students to come up with ideas for inexpensive desalination plants that can help tens and millions of poor people in the country.

Moreover, such an innovation by the youth will also help provide water for millions of cattle heads that remain the lone source of income for countless farmers across the length and breadth of the country.

S. Nayyar Iqbal Raza
Karachi

Published in Dawn, June 7th, 2022