CRCP expresses concern over deaths due to Poisonous Water

July 12, 2005

Islamabad: Consumer Rights Commission of Pakistan (CRCP) has expressed grave concerns over the heavy toll to human lives caused by contaminated water in Zhob, Lahore, Muzzafarabad, and Hyderabad, in a press conference conducted with the support of GEF/ SGP, UNDP, at Islamabad Press Club. Mr. Zahid Ali, Advocacy Officer CRCP, while addressing the press conference said that the rate of waterborne diseases and deaths due to contaminated water has reached to an alarming stage. The blatant neglect by the authorities concerned and patchy implementation of National Environmental Quality Standards (NEQS) have been the main reasons for deterioration in the quality and quantity of water over the years.

CRCP said that Pakistan was one of those countries where most of citizens were not available with safe drinking water. One-third of total population, have no access to safe drinking water and 76 percent people live without sanitation facilities. Consequently, about 40 to 50 percent ailments and 60 percent hospital admissions are caused by contaminated water, inflicting huge losses to human and economic resources of Pakistan. According to WHO, 60 percent infant deaths are related to contaminated water in Pakistan.

Health hazards caused by unsafe drinking water is one of the significant causes of uncontrolled poverty in developing countries owing to high cost of treatment and loss of working days occurring due to waterborne diseases. According to a survey conducted by the Pakistan National Human Development Report 2003 and Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE), 90 working days are lost owing to waterborne diseases in poor households. Therefore, the issue of poverty alleviation has to be seen more strongly in the broader context of economic and environmental sustainability.

In the first week of July 2005, 51 deaths and 2800 serious ailments were reported caused by contaminated water in Lahore, Zhob and Muzaffarad. Around 14,000 cases of skin disease leishmaniasis had been registered only in Sindh due to contaminated water.

The situation is further getting worsened due to flood and poor sanitation and sewerage systems in cities as well as in rural areas. Commenting on the recent deaths in Zhob, Lahore and Hyderabad, Mr. Zahid Ali lamented the fact that the government could have done a lot better by keeping a check on the quality of water and prompting people to take precautionary measures against water contamination. However, government and its agencies, as usual woke up from slumber after the damage has been done.

In addition, the authorities were not candid enough to accept their liabilities and responsibilities, as the Nazim Lahore reported to have denied the recent deaths were because of water contamination. Whereas the health department confirmed that these deaths were because of water contamination.

The situation is worsening day by day as the Government has been slow in the implementation of policies and legislative frameworks available to check water quality deterioration. For example, NEQS were established about thirteen years ago, yet their implementation is selective and patchy. There is a strong need to realize the importance of clean drinking water and subsequently healthier nation for the overall well being of the people and economic strength of the country.

However, CRCP appreciates the formulation and approval of first ever Environment Policy in Pakistan. Nevertheless, we also stress upon the government and the parliament to actively oversee the implementation of this policy in letter and spirit. Without resources and will to attain the goals set by any policy or laws are just wishful thinking. However, a political will on the part of the Government and continuous oversight by the Parliament and its Committees concerned could be the only way that any policy could bear the results. Therefore, CRCP stresses upon the Government to release allocated resources in time and carefully follow the progress on the implementation of this policy.

Moreover, CRCP demands of the Government to fulfill all its commitments to cover the whole population for provision of safe drinking water till 2008. It should not be a mere lip service to the cause of the healthier and prosperous nation through provision of safe drinking water.

CRCP takes this opportunity to demand of the government to ensure the full implementation of NEQS to save our fresh water resources from industrial and municipal pollution. The present Environment Policy also envisages the full implementation of the NEQS to ensure environmental sustainability and subsequent sustainable economic development. This is an alarming fact that even after a lapse of thirteen years after the establishment of the National Environmental Quality Standards (NEQS), these standards just remain a set of wishful national aspirations.

Moreover, first Water Policy of Pakistan waiting for the seal of the Cabinet should be approved sooner than latter. In addition, Safe Drinking Water legislation should be done as soon as possible to avoid or decrease any accidents and deaths due to water contamination. Any such legislation introduced, must ensure to pinpoint the agencies, government or private, responsible for water contamination. Moreover, the sufferers owing to the negligence of these agencies should be given appropriate redress through the establishment of relevant legislative and judicial mechanisms.

Last but not the least, is the role of the Parliament. Parliaments not only formulate national policies but also ensure its implementation through its oversight role, especially by the Committee Systems. However, Parliaments in Pakistan has occasionally faltered in its oversight role. This is one of the very basic reasons for policies not delivering their desired results in Pakistan. Therefore, CRCP emphasizes upon the Parliament to perform its oversight role more vigorously along with formulation of policies. This is true in the case of environmental legislation and policies in Pakistan.

That is why, we demand of the Parliament and relevant Committees of the Parliament on Environment, to perform its oversight role more actively and vehemently to achieve results of first ever environment policy of Pakistan, to ensure implementation of relevant legislation and safe drinking water for whole of the population sooner than latter.

We also take this opportunity to announce that we will keep track of the Government’s commitments on the provision of safe drinking water to the maximum population through a checklist and follow up progress on these commitments, along with other consumer rights groups. Results would be shared with the media and public periodically.