In a nation where access to a single glass of clean water can mean the difference between health and disease-whether in remote villages, bustling cities, or lavish hotels-the reality is alarming. A recent revelation by the Pakistan Council for Research in Water Resources, which identified at least 28 brands of bottled water as unsafe for human consumption, lays bare a shocking failure of our public health system. Only 39 per cent of the population enjoys access to safe drinking water. A thriving bottled water industry, often marketed as the go-to solution for quenching thirst, ironically mirrors a systemic collapse in our public water systems. The fact that nearly a third of bottled water brands are flunking safety assessments is a grave concern that poses significant health risks to consumers, particularly among our most vulnerable populations.
If UNICEF is to be believed, 53,000 children die every year in Pakistan due to diarrhoea caused by consuming contaminated water. Understandably so, as drinking water was never recognised as a constitutionally guaranteed right. Until and unless Islamabad realises that its failure to secure water for all citizens is inexcusable, the implications of which extend far beyond immediate health risks, nothing much would change on the ground.
As Samuel Taylor Coleridge profoundly articulated, “Water, water everywhere, nor any drop to drink.” This captures the essence of our ongoing complacency. We cannot afford to let the provinces evade their responsibility to adopt integrated, data-driven policies regarding water management.
Statistics speak volumes; UNICEF reports that 53,000 children die every year in Pakistan due to diarrheal diseases caused by contaminated water.
We owe it to future generations to cultivate an environment where health and wellness are safeguarded through sound policies that ensure access to clean and safe water for everyone. Additionally, in the mean time, authorities must not allow entities to prioritise profit over public health. *