For the third time in five years, the United Nations is trying to point out the world to one of its most serious problems: 2.4 billion people have no toilets or sewers, and 1.1 billion do not even have drinkable water. The lack of sanitation and clean water is the principal cause of death in the world, after malnutrition. Every day an estimated 22,000 people, half of them children, die of diseases borne by polluted water, such as typhoid, cholera, malaria and diarrhoea, the UN report said. The study suggests that less than 40 percent of rural inhabitants have access to adequate safe drinking water throughout the year. The World Bank estimates that 21 percent of communicable diseases in are water related.
Children under the age of five are the most vulnerable to ailments from drinking unclean water.
Water contains three proportions, odourless, colourless and tasteless. If the water is colourless, odourless and tasteless, it means it is clean and safe. If any symptoms are seen after taking the water, it means the water is contaminated.
A vast majority of people lives in rural areas face shortage of safe drinking water. Cities are also facing chronic shortages, which is raising serious health concerns.
In Karachi, mostly people use well water, which is also toxic. Researchers said that well water mostly is leakage of drains and water lines, which stores beneath the earth. The well should be dig 100 feet than receive clean water. The well water is not boiled, which also cause of the diseases.
In the summer people suffer from food diseases, the contaminated food is also causes diarrhoea and vomiting. Mostly people do not care about hygiene. There is a possibility of food being contaminated by toxic chemicals and infected by bacteria.
Those who do not care about hygiene and do not meet sanitation requirements are vulnerable to diseases. Malnutrition is a silent killer of mothers and children.
Recently, many people died and some fell ill after drinking contaminated water drawn from a village pond. Contaminated sources like pond and lakes, are also used for the disposal of all types of waste. Their animals also cause waterborne diseases because animals also use water directly from the same pond and lakes.
The diseases from sewerage and industrial chemical water in rivers and canals as one of the major causes of sickness.
Drains carrying poisonous water through defective drainage system and improper water distribution have virtually destroyed sweet water reservoirs of Sindh, turning these resources into poisonous water lakes.
The poisonous water is not only creating health hazards but is also rendering the fertile land into wasteland.
Toxic water is dangerous for health. Upper Sindh hospitals like Jacobabad, Mirpurkhas, Badin, Larkana, Sukkur are full of affected patients of toxic water. About 20 people have lost their lives and hundreds have fallen ill after taking contaminated water. Last year's water crisis claimed 55 persons.
The key concern of this scenario is that without cleansing poisonous water of Manchar Lake fell into the Indus River, the state of affairs will be alarming as the number of gastro-enteritis patients is increasing with the passage of time.
Waterborne diseases gripped the upper Sindh and Punjab areas. Hospitals receive 90 to 100 patients daily.
Analyses reveal that water in Manchar Lake is containing salt to the tune of 56,000 PPM per liter more than 30,000 PPM of sea water, which is several times higher than WHO's recommended 500 PPM per litre.
Sweet water should be ensured in accordance with the Water Accord and those found quality of releasing contaminated or poisonous water in River Indus, watercourses and canals should be brought to book.
Water is second essential natural gift for survival after air. Water scarcity has been a serious problem for many countries, including some developed states.
Water shortage has been a big problem, which pushes the population to drink contaminated and unsafe water.
Major heavy metals are arsenic, mercury and lead. The consumption of heavy metals in contaminated water damages kidney, causes ulcers and cancer. Arsenic is specifically related to the 'Black foot disease'.
Water-borne diseases have been the major drains on hospital resources. Lack of awareness at the community level about 'safe water' is responsible for producing many ailments. The outbreak of fatal infectious diseases like Hepatitis A; typhoid and dysentery is the result of drinking unsafe water. Clean drinking water greatly reduces the incidence of these diseases.
Boiling is the traditional and best method to make water free of many microgranisms. Water should be boiled for at least 20 minutes at the standard temperature. The chemical method is another proper way to treat drinking water.
Chlorine sachets can help turn water into safe one but care should be taken to avoid excess use. To filter the water does not necessarily kill the micro-organisms. So it becomes imperative to boil water after getting it filtered.
Safe drinking water is an inborn right of every human being, which should be provided at any cost. The current miserable situation in our country needs a comprehensive water management plan, because 'water is life'.
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