ISLAMABAD: A Rawalpindi journalist has written to Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar, drawing his attention towards the shortage of safe drinking water in the country.

“I would like to seek your kind indulgence to a very sensitive problem which federal and provincial governments should have attended to but failed miserably,” the letter written to the CJP by Kanwar Rashid Habib said.

In his letter, Mr Habib says safe drinking water is a basic need and that one can survive without food for days but it is hard to endure thirst even for a few hours especially in the hot weather.

Mineral water companies are pressuring authorities not to supply safe drinking water so their businesses can benefit, alleges a citizen

He has said that the water being supplied in the pipelines is not safe for drinking as it is not treated according to the set minimum standards and that the supply system itself does not comply with safety standards.

The water being supplied is contaminated and is not fit for human consumption, he said, adding that the pipelines through which water is supplied are rusting and leaking, which is also leading to the mixing of sewage with drinking water and other contamination.

Some filtration plants were installed by the government across the country including Islamabad and Rawalpindi, he says, and that such filtration plants should have been installed in all localities, communities, residential and commercial areas of the country.

The few filtration plants that have been installed are also not being maintained, he has said.

“There is a perception that different companies engaged in the business of mineral water are manipulating the relevant authorities to keep the general and especially poor people short of safe drinking water just to boost their business,” Mr Habib has alleged in his letter.

He goes on to say that the water sold by these companies is expensive and not safe as there are no regulators, food inspectors for instance, to check if the water sold by mineral water companies is actually filtered according to international standards.

“A common man cannot afford to purchase mineral water on daily basis for the entire family,” the letter reads, adding that the government was constitutionally bound to ensure the safety of human life and the right to live and urges the CJP to take suo moto notice of the matter.

The journalist has requested the CJP to direct the government to install safe drinking water plants across the country as soon as possible as this summer is expected to be very hot and long with temperatures in the south of the country already reaching to 40°.

A member of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s legal team, Advocate Chaudhry Faisal Hussein has said he will plead the case on behalf of the applicant as this is a matter of public importance and fundamental rights.

Published in Dawn, April 27th, 2017