Fresh water wastages in Pakistan
It is no denying the fact that Water is an important element of life. Without it, there would be no people, animals and plants on the earth.
Unlike developing states like Pakistan, many developed countries on map of world are still deprived of free fresh water, natural gift of GOD, despites their development in all sphere of life.
It Includes Norway, Turkey, Netherlands, London and United States of America where the prize of petrol is cheaper than water.
More cities around the globe are recycling sewage water into drinking water. Namibia’s desert capital has been doing it for many decades.
China is one of them. Poor people living in many countries end up paying the most for their water.
The six most expensive countries to drink water includes Papua New Guinea ,cambodia, ethiopia, madagascar and ghana.
In India, neighboring country, each year, 140,000 children die from diarrhea due to no access to clean water.
Undeniably, Up to 80% of illnesses in the developing world are linked to inadequate water and sanitation.
According to UN-Water, Geneva, Switzerland, by 2025, 1.8 billion people will be living in countries with absolute water scarcity.
In developing country like Pakistan, it is sadden to learn that natural fresh water, which is ground water source, is not paid any head especially in rural and small cities of Sindh due to its adequate availability at free of cost.
Peoples in interior sindhlike Larkana, naoderoShikarpur, Jacobabad ,Khairpur and Ranipur are using ground water for drinking and home chores.
Unfortunately, due to its being free and adequate availability, most of it is wasted at large scale in households during washing clothes and kitchen utensils and even in taking shower, running toilets, dripping faucets, and other leaks.
On the other hand, developed states pay more price for water, Precious gift of nature, than gas and Oil despite its higheconomic and technology development.
According to the UN, the average person needs between 20 and 50 liters (5.3-13.2 gallons) of water each day to satisfy their drinking, cooking, cleaning, and sanitation needs.
Retrospectively, fresh water is becoming worrisome in South Asia, particularly in Pakistan, which may face absolute water scarcity by 2040.
International Monetary Fund (IMF) has placed Pakistan at “third” position in the list of countries facing acute water scarcity.
It is very deplorable condition in country where the per capita availability of fresh water is below the water scarcity threshold (1,000 cubic meters), which was 3,950 cubic meters in 1961 and 1600 in 1991.
The habit of squandering water everywhere in households has contributed to alarming situation of water scarcity.
In this regards, Pakistan has made head ways to revive the water storage capacity up to mark as it was in its golden days of country soon after the independence.
The recent commendable steps taken by government to recycle rain and ablution water are highly praise worthy.
It is high time, Federal and provincial government must work in tandem to take preventive measures and initiatives to save the country from doomsday after five years when there will be hue and cry on fresh wateravailabilitythat could lead to waterterrorism across the state.
History reveals that VibrantMedia is fourth pillar of democratic state.Government must use this effective tool to bring awareness among the masses about smart use of fresh water.
Radio is another dedicated service to bring change optimistically in society which is mostlistening device in rural areas of Sindh where fresh water, natural resource, is wasted in huge quantity regularly.
It is no less than a challenging task for incumbent government to save the Pakistan from a ‘water-stressed’ country into a ‘water-scarce’ country.
It is important to become more water-aware before it’s too late.Doing simple things such as fixing leaks, taking shorter showers and turning off the tap when brushing your teeth or shaving can save a lot of water.
To sum up, it is need of hour that members of civil society must chalk out effective strategies to minimize the water waste in small cities, where fresh ground water is God Gifted source for them, by arranging seminars and awareness rally to prove them good citizen and help state to render its services in letter an sprit as a part of democratic state.
—The writer is contributing columnist, based inShikarpur, Sindh
