PEHAWAR, March 22: Water being supplied in Dera Ismail Khan district is not fit for human consumption as it contains pollutants spreading different diseases. The point was made by experts at a workshop held in connection with the World Water Day here on Wednesday. Tehsil Nazim Fatehullah Khan Miankhel inaugurated the workshop, organized by tehsil municipal administration, D.I Khan, United Nation Development Programme and FIDA to create awareness about water-related issues. Participants from different walks of life attended the workshop.

The tehsil nazim stressed the need for judicious use of water to offset shortage. He said water conservation was the need of the hour and should be given the importance that it deserved.

Health expert Jalilur Rehman said that due to contamination, water-borne diseases were on the rise. He said that biological contamination was also increasing due to worn-out and leaky pipelines.

He said that world wide average water leakage was 10 per cent, but in DI Khan it was 50 to 60 per cent. He suggested that supply of drinking water should be given priority and there was need to create awareness about importance of safe drinking water.

Another health expert, Khalid Fayaz, spoke on ‘water and culture’. He said that water management in Pakistan lacked social mobilization in the work of lining of water courses.

He stressed the importance of judicious use of water, efficiency and management practices, conservation strategies and alternatives.