Every drop counts: Expo raises awareness on water scarcity

Discontinuation of 100 MGD from Hub Dam causing water shortage in Karachi, says KWSB chief

KARACHI:

Water scarcity is becoming one of the leading concerns across the country. To prevent the impending crises, Pak Water Expo 2016 seeks to spread awareness and offers creative solutions.

The supply of 100 million gallons of water from Hub Dam still remains disconnected, causing water shortage in the metropolis, said Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) managing-director Misbahuddin Fareed. Due to this, many areas continue to experience acute water shortage, he added.

He was speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the three-day event held at Karachi Expo Centre on Tuesday.



Several international organisations have predicted that glaciers are melting at fast pace in Pakistan and if this continues, water crises in the country will become worse, he claimed.

Last year, about 2,200 people died during the heat wave and shortage of water was one of the reasons behind it, he said. This year too, heat waves are predicted and if it happens, the situation will be much worse than last year, he pointed out.

The government should take steps such as construction of dams and water reservoirs to solve the crises, he said. He added that many major companies are selling water board's water in bottles branding it as mineral water.

About the expo

The expo is exhibiting water distribution, treatment and conservation equipment which can be used in households and industries, said the organiser of the expo, Kamran Abbasi. The equipment includes water pumps, pipes, water filter plants, geo-membranes (water-proofing membranes) and water treatment chemicals.

More than 24 companies are participating in the event and over 30 stalls have been established. "The equipment will be on display from 10am to 7pm till February 25," he informed.



"Although the subject matter is dry and technical but, it's a hot topic nowadays," remarked Fareed while speaking about the expo. "My KWSB team and I are here to understand water related issues and learn the ways to conserve water by using new technologies," he said.

"The exhibition has informed me regarding the water crises and helped me understand water-related technology," said a visitor, Dr Samiuz Zaman. The event has been organised by Prime Event Management with the support of KWSB and Pakistan Standards Quality Control Authority.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 24^th, 2016.