Sir: According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), 3.4 million people die every year because of water borne diseases. Clean drinking water, a prerequisite basic human right like all other human rights, is not available to vast majority of population in Pakistan. About 89 percent Pakistani population drink contaminated water according to a report of PCRWR and 40 percent of deaths are reported because of contaminated drinking water, according to the UN. Both ground and surface drinking water are polluted by coliforms, toxic metals and pesticides, which are causing life threatening diseases like diarrhea, cholera, typhoid fever, dysentery, shigellosis and even hepatitis. WHO has put forward various quality check parameters for drinking water. These involve various physical (colour, turbidity, odour and taste), chemical and biological tests to meet the desired standards of water quality. Government needs to take measures for the provision of clean drinking water to the population. FAREEHA AHMAD Islamabad