Every drop counts: PAE’s symposium stresses the need for clean water

The event highlighted the significance of installing desalination and reverse-osmosis plants in the city

KARACHI: Pure water is a basic human right that needs to be provided as top priority, said the Pakistan Academy of Engineering (PAE) president Dr Jameel Ahmed Khan.

Nothing has been done as yet for rehabilitation and restoration of waste water treatment in Karachi, he mentioned. He criticised Karachi Water and Sewerage Board for its careless service. Khan was addressing the PAE symposium on Saturday. The symposium stressed the need for providing more water to Karachi in view of the rising population and industries.



The retail cost of bottled water has risen to alarming level in the country, particularly Karachi, said Khan. He said that water is in abundance on the Earth, however, there is need to use it properly.

Dr Jameel said that global water stress is intensifying due to rising population and by 2030, about 60 per cent of the world population is expected to live in urban areas. The participants at symposium were informed that globally 147 countries have met drinking water target set by the United Nations.

Nisar Ahmed, of PAE, said that there is a need to provide treated water supply to residents in Karachi through treatment plants. He said that Indus River's water contains pollutants and bacteria that can be removed through water treatment plants.

Desalination plants can provide safe drinking water, said Ahmed. They should be established to ensure the better health of the people, he claimed. He said that there is mushrooming of water plants in the city, and most of them do not meet required standards. Every water filter plant should have a proper laboratory and microbiologists, he added.

Anjum Kamal Alvi of PAE shed light on the importance of thermal desalination plants for providing water in Pakistan. He said that these plants can play major role in providing safe drinking water to the people. He stressed the need for establishment of these plants for better human health.

There is also need to establish reverse-osmosis plants to treat the contaminated sea water, claimed Khan.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 1^st, 2015.