80m Pakistanis have no access to potable water

  Volume 2, Issue 2
OUR STAFF REPORTER ISLAMABAD: There is a dire need to propagate technologies used to clean drinking water, as 70 per cent diseases in Pakistan are water-borne and 80 million people in the country have no access to safe water.

These were the findings in the orientation ceremony of a seminar titled "Household Water Treatments (HWTs), Best Practices: Solar Water Disinfection (SODS)" held at the National Press Club last week. The seminar was arranged by SDPI.

In his speech, Naseer Gillani, Chief of Water & Planning Commission, said that 70 per cent diseases in Pakistan are water-borne.

"About 80 million people are in search of safe water in the country and it is necessary to propagate technologies to clean water," he added.

He said that a lot of money was required to implement the standards and SODIS (Solar Water Disinfection) was a choice, which proved effective in Africa.

SODIS method is also a way to combat the onslaught of multinational corporations. It was a panacea for those using water from ponds, taps or wells.

Dr Shaukat Farooq, Project Manager from Sheladia Associates, said that through SODIS, ultraviolet waves disinfected water and also killed the bacteria.

He said that standards prevalent in Pakistan for safe drinking water were zero for faecel-coliform and three for coliform. He said that using membrane filter technology, one could easily analyse water. He said 24 hours were needed to analyse coliform or faecel-colyform.

http://www.technologytimes.pk/mag/2011/jan11/issue02/80m_pakistanis_have_no.php