Senator Sherry Rehman, Chairperson of the Senate Standing Committee on Environmental Change, led a crucial meeting today, highlighting alarming concerns over Islamabad’s Unsafe water. The committee addressed the deteriorating water quality and availability, as well as the public health risks from contaminated water sources.” Senator Sherry Rehman emphasized that the water situation in Islamabad is extremely critical. She stated that 9 million gallons of sewage water are being discharged into Rawal Dam daily. Reports from the National Institute of Health (NIH) revealed that 41% of borewater, 27% of filtered water, and 33% of supply water samples were found to be unsatisfactory. In particular, samples from Sector G and Tarlai were flagged as severely contaminated, with all borewater samples in Tarlai failing to meet safety standards. This alarming situation calls for immediate intervention to ensure the safety of the public. The meeting also highlighted the alarming rise in waterborne diseases, with 93% of diarrhea cases among children attributed to the lack of clean drinking water. In 2024, 158 suspected typhoid fever cases, many Hepatitis A, and E cases, and 3,970 cases of dengue fever were reported. The committee also discussed the operational inefficiencies in water treatment infrastructure. “Out of 299 samples analyzed nationwide, hundreds were found unsafe—this is alarming, particularly for Islamabad. The committee criticized the lack of coordination among various government agencies, with institutions blaming each other for the ongoing crisis. Senator Rehman called for immediate collaboration and a coordinated approach to resolve the water and sewage issues, stressing that these are national challenges, not isolated problems. She urged all relevant departments to work together in the best interest of the citizens, as the situation in Islamabad is a microcosm of the broader challenges faced across the country. Concerns were also raised by Chairman CDA, about the insufficient funding allocated to address the public health crisis. Despite the allocation of only 60 million rupees for a 6 billion rupee public health project, progress remains stagnant. Chairman of the Capital Development Authority stated that a minimum of 3 billion rupees be allocated to address these urgent issues and to provide the necessary resources to improve water treatment infrastructure and sewage systems. Senator Sherry Rehman announced the formation of a coordination committee under the supervision of the Secretary of the Ministry of Climate Change, involving all relevant agencies. The committee will resolve these issues within a month. She emphasized that, despite a broader agenda, the committee’s main focus is ensuring clean drinking water for citizens, prioritizing public health. Senator Rehman concluded the meeting by reiterating the urgent need for immediate action to ensure the provision of clean drinking water to the citizens of Islamabad. She emphasized that the time for finger-pointing and blame-shifting is over, and it is essential for all agencies to work together to resolve Unsafe water and safeguard public health. The meeting was attended by Senator Bushra Anjum, Senator Shahzeeb Durrani, Senator Manzoor Ahmad Kakar, the Chairman of CDA, and other government officials, while Senator Zarqa Soharwardi participated via video link.