KARACHI, March 19: Fifty-six million people of the country do not have access to clean drinking water, and 200,000 children die of waterborne diseases every year. The situation in Karachi is not much different. The percentage of the total dissolved solids (TDS) in water samples taken from Saddar (15146mg/l), Landhi (21748mg/l) North Nazimabad (3485mg/l), Lyari (9928mg/l) and Malir (3485mg/l) is alarming as the maximum concentration of TDS allowed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) is 500mg/l.

This was mentioned at a seminar held in a hotel here on `Drinking Water Quality Assessment in Karachi, Hyderabad and Kotri’, organised by the Environment Protection Agency (EPA), Government of Sindh. The Secretary for Environment and Alternative Energy Department (EAED), Mir Hussain Ali, was the chief guest on the occasion as EAED Minister Dr Saghir Ahmed was unable to make it to the event.

Dr Abdul Haleem Yousafzai, a scientist, carried out the water assessment survey on the behalf of EPA for which their team collected 1000 water samples from Karachi, Hyderabad and Kotri.

Sharing the findings of the survey, Dr Yousafzai said the poor water supply system and improper industrial and domestic waste disposal had added to the already worsening situation. He pointed out that the percentage of TDS and chemical oxygen demand (COD), apart from the metallic ions, was found seriously high in most areas of Karachi. The percentage of TDS in some areas of the city were: Saddar (15146mg/l), Landhi (21748mg/l) North Nazimabad(3485mg/l), Lyari (9928mg/l) and Malir (3485mg/l).

Dr Yousafzai said that about 80 per cent water samples taken from Gulshan-i-Iqbal Town had fecal coliform bacteria almost 8.6 percentage points more than 30MPN/dl (a standard set by WHO).

Dr Iqbal Mohammad Bhangar, director of the National Centre of Excellence in Analytical Chemistry, in his presentation highlighted how the increase in population had a direct impact on the water shortage problem.

He also mentioned that 56 million of the country’s population was deprived of clean drinking water, and that almost 200,000 children died annually thanks to the waterborne diseases.

Dr Yar M. Khawar, dean faculty of natural sciences Jamshoro University, Dr Zahida T. Maqsood, professor of the Department of Chemistry, University of Karachi, M. Suleman Chandio from Karachi Water Supply Board and Prof Abdul Rashid Memon, director of the Institute of Environmental Engineering and Management, also discussed various issues pertaining to the water management problems, hazards faced caused by it and possible solutions to it.

Souvenirs were given to the speakers at the end of the day by the chief guest.