Sir: Water is the basic need of life. Life reflects total dependency on water. The level of underground water is decreasing rapidly. Moreover, because of water scarcity, several species have been extinguished on the ground. According to National Drinking Water Policy (NDWP), 35 percent of people in Pakistan have no access to safe drinking water. The state should address this issue with keen interest because without water being an agricultural state Pakistan may face extremely tough situations. National consensus may help to resolve this issue in addition government should introduce ‘Water metering and utilization charges’ to boost the importance of water as well as to reduce its wastage. ALI AZHAR KAPRI, Hyderabad