The Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources says the country, once having surplus water, now has a water deficit. Main reasons for the declining water availability are a rapid population growth, the fast expanding number of industries and businesses and depleting water storage facilities.

Of the total 147m acre-feet water that flows through Pakistani territory, the country stores only 14.5m acre-feet water and the remaining flows to sea due to lack of storage.

We use more water than required, pollute drinking water in different ways, keep most of our wastewater treatment plants non-operative and appear non-concerned with the dwindling availability of clean water to the public. All this has to change for the better before water calamity hits us hard.

Water distribution by utilities in the cities and towns is inadequate and in many places water contaminated. Underground water in many areas is brackish, contaminated or contains excessive traces of arsenic or other such minerals.

Sindh and Punjab are installing reverse osmosis (RO) plants at selected locations to provide clean water to the people. But many water supply and drainage schemes in rural Sindh started around 2008 for completion by 2011, remained incomplete and non-operational, due to non-release of funds, change of project managers or due to lack of electricity connections.

Untreated municipal wastewater and industrial effluents are released every day into water

bodies almost all over the country, starting from northern areas near Peshawar to all the way down to Karachi

Operational RO plants are also exposed to load shedding and occasional breakdowns. Installing solar-based RO plants may improve the situation but it may take time. Implementation delays of water and sanitation projects are widespread in the country.

Water utilities in various cities subject raw water to normal chlorination process but the water is often not fully safe for drinking purposes. Chris-crossing of water lines with leaking sanitation channels adversely affects water quality. Due to poor quality of drinking water, RO plants are also in demand even for certain areas of large cities as Karachi and Lahore.

Water flowing in our rivers, canals and lakes as well as ground water is badly contaminated. Against relevant laws and policies, untreated municipal wastewater/ industrial effluents are released into water bodies almost all over the country, starting from northern areas near Peshawar to all the way down to Karachi. Presence of microbiological and chemical contamination in drinking water is a health hazard.

The National Sanitation Policy 2006 and National Drinking Water Policy 2009 provide the policy framework. Sanitation policy provides for establishing effective wastewater management system both for municipal and industrial wastewater. Industries and factories that generate hazardous and toxic waste are required to have their own system of waste treatment.

Drinking water policy places special emphasis on establishing new drinking water systems as well as rehabilitation and up-gradation of existing water supply systems. The policy also provides for ensuring protection and conservation of water resources as well as measures for treatment and safety of drinking water. But the policy implementation is weak.

It has been estimated in the policy that water, sanitation and hygiene related diseases cost the national economy about Rs 112bn per year, over Rs 300m a day, in terms of health costs and lost earnings. Lack of adequate drinking facilities in schools is one of the reasons for low enrollment and high dropout of school children.

Large quantities of untreated wastewater from municipalities and untreated effluents from most industries are released to the vegetable growers in the vicinity of treatment plant in different cities and towns posing serious health hazards.

The authorities at Islamabad/Rawalpindi, according to newspaper reports, are considering plans to clean Rawal Lake water by installing one or more water treatment plants.

Presumably, this is being considered due to inability or unwillingness of the authorities to stop surrounding villages or small industries or poultry farms, etc., established and operational there from release of wastewater in the channels located in the catchment area of Rawal Lake.

It is feared that the financing and installation of treatment plants may take years and the poor people will continue to suffer contaminated water.

Published in Dawn, Economic & Business, November 24th, 2014