Since 2009, Pakistan has its National Drinking Water Policy but hardly people at home, businesses, hotels, educational and other institutions get potable tap water. Millions of Pakistanis today do not have access to potable tap water, though million others have access to filtered tap water at public, private or individual finance. Those who are less privilege of being simple tap water users risk their health and life as they consume reportedly contaminated tap waters.
Pakistan is among the top 7 countries that host 90% of sick population; 40% children under 5 are stunted in Pakistan as compared to South Asian average of 31%. As per the National Nutrition Survey & Multi Cluster Indicator Survey (MICS) reports, the poor’s access to safe drinking water is a major contributor behind these alarming health statistics.”
The National Drinking Water Policy 2009 and the National Water Policy 2018 call for ensuring access to safe drinking water for its citizens. Consequently, the provinces developed their own policies such as the Sindh Water Policy – 2023, Sindh Drinking Water Policy – 2017, Punjab Drinking Water Policy – 2011, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Drinking Water Policy 2015 and Balochistan Drinking Water Policy 2015. Despite having water policies in place, our provinces are far behind reaching the targets of making potable water available for their population. We cannot simply forget the tragic April incident in Sanghar wherein five children lost their lives after drinking contaminated water. Million others across the country put their lives at stake as they are bound to use unclean water.
Meanwhile, Karachi faced yet another Cholera outbreak—a stark reminder that over 80% of our population drinks water tainted with E. coli.er. This is not because of scarcity of fresh water or lack of financial resources rather it is because of the deep-rooted structural issue in the legislation and policies related to drinking water. Despite numerous national and provincial policies, the lack of integrated and effective implementation continues to impact our water supply thus endangering the citizens.
The fundamental flaw, which mirrors through the narrative documents of the state such as the Constitution with its key amendments, budget documents, and planning and development discourse documents, is that somehow water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) got no guarantee or priority and hence is neglected. The article 38 though not explicitly however implicitly calls for providing all necessities of life including water as part of food. Access to safe drinking water needs to be acknowledged as a fundamental human right in the Constitution, in line with the UN General Assembly declaration in 2010. Pakistan’s parliamentarians have to take a collective action to address this pervasive issue. Nevertheless, the 18th amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan and the National Drinking Water Policy have compensated to a larger extent on the potable water issue by empowering provinces to formulate contextualized policies and strategies for social development subjects including water. The National Water Policy clearly talks about safe drinking water as a right.
What is needed now is a clear national policy framework for safe drinking water as strategic guideline for the provinces so that they can align their policies and practices accordingly and cater to the whole population (rural & urban) in the respective provinces. The water policy should not be left with the mandate of the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED), which primarily serves rural areas. Water is an integrated subject which is linked to other relevant departments, such as health, local government, and the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR), missing opportunities. Most of these policies don’t consider climate change which is a threatening phenomenon for natural resources, largely water, and human lives in Pakistan with a vast Indus basin. Pakistan’s 9 out of 10 big cities are situated within 50 kilometres of the river Indus and are impacted with depletion or restoration of Indus Ecosystem.
Narrowing down from water to fresh drinking water issue, one would see that the problem lies not in water scarcity but in the protection of freshwater sources. Since safe drinking water is not recognized as a fundamental human right in the Constitution of Pakistan – 1973 so there is a lack of adequate legal and regulatory frameworks for ensuring protection and conservation of surface and ground water sources. The disposal of solid and liquid waste in surface and ground water sources is alarming as both the rivers and freshwater streams are not just a dumping ground for solid and liquid waste. These are our strategic assets which need to be cleaned and recharged with natural eco-solutions.
Wastewater Digest reports that only 8% of municipal wastewater and 1% of industrial wastewater are treated before being discharged into rivers. Earth.Org identifies the Ravi River in Pakistan as the most polluted river globally. Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” aptly describes Pakistan’s water crisis: “Water, water everywhere, nor any drop to drink.” Just protecting fresh water sources such as rivers and streams from untreated sewage and industrial waste, Pakistan can save billions of rupees on installation of water filtration plants and public health expenditures for treating water-borne diseases.
Our fate is writ in our waters. Any mantra of economic revival without considering accessibility of safe drinking water for all is flawed and bound to fail in the long run. Pakistan cannot sustainably revive its economy or achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—including zero hunger, good health and well-being, quality education, gender equality, decent work, economic growth, and sustainable communities—without ensuring equitable access to safe drinking.
