More Than 80% Pakistanis Consume Contaminated and Unsafe Water

While microbiological contamination of water remains one of the leading causes of cholera, diarrhea, dysentery, hepatitis, typhoid etc, arsenic in the water can cause various types of diabetes, skin, kidney, heart, black foot diseases, hypertension, birth defects and multiple types of cancer, suggested the Pakistan Council for Research in Water Resources (PCRWR).

More than 80% Pakistanis consume contaminated and unsafe water, a top official said. Minister for Science and Technology Rana Tanveer told the Senate on Tuesday said the Pakistan Council for Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) had conducted various water quality monitoring projects in the country and said 69% to 82% water samples collected from 2,807 villages in 24 districts were found contaminated or unsafe for drinking, Dawn online reported.

The PCRWR, which is a research and development organisation of the Ministry of Science and Technology, reported that major contamination was due to bacteria (coliforms), toxic metals (mainly arsenic), turbidity, total dissolved solids (TDS) and nitrate and fluoride pollution, Tanveer said.

‘Over 80% Pakistanis drink contaminated and unsafe water, reported the Minister for Science and Technology Rana Tanveer.’

Besides setting up 24 state-of-the-art water testing laboratories around the country, several other initiatives have also been undertaken. These included the development of microbiological testing kits, low-cost arsenic detection testing kits and production of chlorination and disinfection tablets.

However, bacteriological, arsenic and turbidity are the leading causes of contamination in the drinking water, Dawn online quoted Tanveer as saying.

A senior PCRWR official told Dawn online that the function of its laboratories were in jeopardy due to the lack of funds.

Set up at a cost of 1.2 billion Pakistani rupees (about $11 million), the labs were to identify contamination in drinking water and ensure the availability of potable water to the citizens.

Source: IANS

UNICEF Says 1,800 Children Die Daily from Unsafe Water

Almost 90 percent of children die from diarrhoeal diseases that are directly associated with contaminated water, lack of sanitation, says the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

Impact of Unsafe Water and Poor Sanitation on Child and Maternal Mortality, Quantified by Study

For the first time Canadian-based researchers quantified the effect of unsafe water and sanitation on mortality of children below five and mothers in the year after childbirth.

400 Specially-Abled Children Clean Surat on Clean India Campaign Anniversary

To mark the first anniversary of the Clean India Campaign, around 400 specially-abled children took up brooms to clean the streets in Surat on Friday.

Contaminated Water Intake Among 1.8 Billion

Recent prevalent news reports points to the success of a United Nations' goal of notably bettering access to safe drinking water around the world.

Tips for Healthy Fasting During Ramadhan

Ramadhan calls for a change in your food habits, and to help you glide through it easily, here we’ve put down some effective tips. Read on to know more.