Clean drinking water for all

Ministry of Science and Technology held a press conference here on Thursday to highlight the issue of the lack of clean drinking water in flood affected areas of the country.

The conference was held in collaboration with three major institutions of the ministry: Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR), Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF) and Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR).

“It is alarming to see that the shortage of water in Pakistan is even worse than in African countries,” said Chairman PCRWR Dr Muhammed Aslam Tahir. Talking about the relief measures being taken by the ministry, he said that 17 teams have been organized by PCRWR to distribute clean drinking water to the flood affected areas. He said that 7,000,000 litres of chlorinated drinking water had been distributed to the flood affected areas of Khyber Pakhtoonkhawa and Punjab, while the aim is to increase the figures to 10 million litres. “There is a need to revise policies and produce professionals to build the ministry’s capacity in dealing with such calamities,” Tahir added.

He said that with the collaboration of UNICEF and USAID, four water treatment plants had been installed in the flood affected areas. A single plant installed in Nowshera provides potable water to 15,000 people, he added.

National Project Manger UNDP Dr Abdul Majeed said that a nationwide awareness campaign was needed to teach people water conservation techniques.

The Chairperson PCSIR Dr Tanzil Haider Usmani said, “Our laboratories in Peshawar, Karachi and Lahore are looking after their respective provinces and supplying flood victims with rations such as dry milk, ORS, high-calorie biscuits, flour, sugar, tea, medicines, shoes and clothes.” He added that, “Most of these items are being produced by PCSIR Laboratories based on their research and development activities.”

PSF Chairperson Dr Manzoor Hussain Soomro said that PSF had mobilised its science caravans to various flood affected areas, to provide manpower and logistic support to science and technology organizations.

It was announced that Minister for Science and Technology Senator Muhammmad Azam Sawati and Secretary Ministry of Science and Technology Mr K. B Rind were directly supervising all these activities and would provide weekly progress updates to the press.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 13^th, 2010.