84% Pakistanis Lack Access To Safe Drinking Water

According to a study prepared by the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR), 72% of water supply schemes in the country are functional and 84% of those had supplied water that not fit for consumption.

This startling news came to light through the Minister for Science and Technology, Mr. Rana Tanvir Hussain, in the Senate on Tuesday.

Water from about 14% of supply sources in both Sindh and Punjab were found to be heavily contaminated with arsenic which are well above the safe limit of 50 parts per billion. For the unaware, if arsenic is present in drinking water, it can cause cancer in the skin, bladder, lungs and kidney.

These are the water conditions of a country where the commercial banks have posted huge profits exceeding Rs. 475 billion in 3 years. However, the quality of drinking water, being the most basic of all needs, remains neglected.

An upward of Rs. 279 million has been spent on a project named Provision of Safe Drinking Water. This project strives to provide clean drinking water for both the rural and urban population in Pakistan. So far, 6 regional water quality labs have been upgraded and 17 new water quality testing labs have been established at the district level. Funds have also been used on the capacity building of 3,000 professionals associated with water supply agencies.

If the case of unclean drinking water goes on, Pakistan won’t be able to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of providing safe drinking water to its population by the year 2030. This is mostly due to the twin factors of a rapidly increasing population and the rise in pollution. According to experts, Pakistan is long off the track for meeting the targets of water supply by 2030.


  • This is why because the so called leaders and their children arent drinking that water.

  • It has been more than 20 years that Karachi is not getting drinkable water at all. I am not discriminating Karachi from other cities, I am highlighting the fact as I have been living here since quite long. I remember in 90s when me and my family used to get sick a lot and the days when my Father got severe Diarrhea and hospitalized and after a year he got Hepatitis E and hospitalized again. My Mother usually get sick every 2 or 3 months, my Sister got Appendix, Brother got Typhoid, me myself had been through Cholera and Typhoid. It was worst times as I was in grade 8 and not aware of what actually was happening to me and my family. Then one Doctor I remember, I asked the reason why so many diseases, whats the cause, how to get rid of them, how to develop immunity against them, is it our food that we eat or Water that we drink. He, responded, why don’t you clean your water..? 99% of the diseases your family got is due to water contamination. Do filter your water well and you will see the difference.We then started using water filter, then after few months more powerful one having a UV system, then the RO filter, then we had a water dispenser and started buying RO filtered water from the market and since then All of my family members are in good health. Now we duly know the importance of Clean Drinking Water and how it drives our health. The Govt has failed to provide basic necessities including the most basic of them “Clean Water”. So its better to spend money on buying clean water rather than getting sick and spend more of it on your disease.

    • mere bhai karachi se bahar nikalain or bataen k water supply (govt lines) me konsy shehr me peeny k qabil paani milta hy.

    • Government and ngos should help alleviate this problem. In lahore, government in collaboration with many agencies has installed filtration plants in masjids and people get clean water for free. This can be replicated anywhere in pakistan.


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