City needs more public sources of drinking water

Absence of water dispensers mostly affects poorest segments who can neither escape heat nor afford bottled water

KARACHI:

There was once an age when drinking fountains and water dispensers, were a part of urban life in the port city.

However, these public sources of clean, drinking water have become endangered at a time when their existence can make the difference between life and death.

Being out in the sun for long hours during Karachi’s searing summers can leave anyone dehydrated to the point of exhaustion, but the recent heatwave has only matters more terminal. In such circumstances, access to cold, drinking water can be a lifesaver.

While the government is yet to relaise this, the people of Karachi, who have always been first to come to the city’s aid, are seen installing water dispensers on the city’s baked sidewalks or placing coolers and mud vessels filled with water, out of their own pocket, as an act of public welfare.

According to Kaleem Ahmad Usmani, who identifies as a social activist, the reason for Karachi’s endangered water dispensers is the government’s ignorance. “These water dispensers were probably installed many years ago, but it seems there was no plan for their upkeep and maintenance. So over time, they have either run dry or the fixtures are broken or become clogged. Some have disappeared altogether, because there was no one to keep an eye on them,” told Usmani, adding that he has seen some working dispensers but they don’t cool and the water than pours out of them is often boiling hot under the sun.

This drinking water crisis most severely impacts the city’s poorest communities, that includes homeless people, laborers and daily wagers who rarely have any reprieve from the sun. “While the rich can cool off in the comfort of their cars or buy a bottle of cold drinking water from any shop when hot, the poor can’t afford such luxuries and rely on public coolers and dispensers,” remarked Tarannum Kamal, a welfare worker.

Dr Muhammad Shoaib Khan, who is a senior physician at a government hospital, says that access to clean, drinking water for every citizen is imperative during the harsh weather conditions that the region is facing. “Hydration is one thing that stands between life and death in case of heat waves, so it is advised people either avoid being in the sun or take necessary precaution to avoid heatstroke,” he told.

Speaking in the regard, Sindh Chief Minister’s Advisor Waqar Mehdi said that the demand for water has increased in Karachi due to rising heat. “The government is trying to set up cold water dispensers or water camps in public places with the help of charities. Practical steps in this regard will be seen soon,” he told The Express Tribune, urging the citizens to use water carefully.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 25^th, 2022.