WASH: CLEANING UP OUR ACT.

First published in Focal Point Magazine, Issue 4: http://www.enterfocalpoint.com/focalpoint/?p=594

Pakistan has been dwelling in man-made and natural disasters since its creation. However, the intensity, frequency and ferocity of one disaster to another has escalated unexpectedly in the past one decade. Every disaster has increased the vulnerability of the people who are residing in disaster prone areas as every catastrophe snatches away basic essentials and livelihood from the lives of the local populace.

Basic necessity in a bad shape..

One such basic amenity which was in a miserable state and is threatened by extinction is WASH: Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, a new term coined by the third sector. Even previously i.e. before the debacles of the past one decade, the country was already suffering due to the lack of facilities in this indispensable sector. Reasons are plenty, debate on this is fruitful, but the canvas is limited, therefore I will state a few.

Firstly and fore mostly, let’s accept the truth: Pakistan is not as impoverished as the horn of Africa; the nightmare of its slow growth has surely been mismanagement of resources and the ‘red tapism’ which surrounds the way the government maneuvers. Whatever may be the burning issues related to this, the prime responsibility for this failure lies on the shoulders of the government as the people deployed for this are paid and/or elected to perform such tasks from the public money. Due to the economic backlog and mismanagement, most of the people in Balochistan are still using primitive methods to control the environmental adversary which has allowed hell to break loose on them.

The statistics clearly highlight the trouble the Pakistani population is going through due to major malpractices in this sector. The share of non-revenue water (NRW) is produced but not billed due to several reasons like leakage and illegal connections which is estimated at 35% in urban areas. The ADB reported an amount of 30% NRW in Rawalpindi and Karachi, and 42% in Lahore.

Secondly, the antagonist in all such development issues has always been lack of awareness. I can accept the argument that education should either be provided by the state on gratis or at subsidized rates by the private sector. However, I cannot agree that the only source for awareness, i.e. knowledge, lies in formal education.

The human is the most cultured creation of The Creator, but we still tend to deprive ourselves from necessities we deserve due to our non-willingness to observe the fact and act ourselves; to escape from our worldly problems, we try to seek seclusion in the masses which are already lost in cardinal ecstasy of materialism. Failing to detect and declare a problem is an opportunity cost we are paying due to our choice of living in the oblivion.

Solid waste mismanagement is spoiling the milieu for our future generations. Provinces with dense population and urban centers, such as Punjab and Sindh are vastly affected by this irreprehensible syndrome of flippancy by all. The big question mark now lies if the provinces will follow suit or waste more time in policy making than deliverance.

Thirdly, and more technically, the resources needed to keep the standards of WASH at desirable and healthier levels are not properly developed by the office bearers and the general public. The lack of a checks and balances system by the government allowed the mightier in the general public to cross boundaries and disobey the regularities placed for this sector; thus, depriving the lower income holder of facilities which they equally deserve.

This can be observed through illegal water connections and drilling of bores without permit, and through the acts of the general public who do not follow standard operating procedures in tapping natural resource. This includes water and water related services such as building resources, sewage system, and the disposal of waste irresponsibly. This creates an unhygienic environment which you and I are using at the moment. Additionally, solid waste mismanagement is spoiling the milieu for our future generations. Provinces with dense population and urban centers, such as Punjab and Sindh are vastly affected by this irreprehensible syndrome of flippancy by all.
The Pakistani Ministry of Water and Power reported in 2002 that only 1% of the domestic and industrial wastewater receives treatment.

According to the Pakistan Water Situational Analysis, there are three wastewater treatment plants in Islamabad, of which only one is functional. Karachi has two trickling filters, where effluents generally receive screening and sedimentation. Lahore has some screening and grit removal systems, but they are hardly functional. In Faisalabad, there is a wastewater treatment plant, in which wastewater receives primary treatment. In rural areas, wastewater treatment is nonexistent, leading to pollution of surface and groundwater.


The Ministry of Health, which has devolved to provinces now, is expected to set water quality standards and monitor drinking water quality in the country. Poor coordination between the ministry and other authorities had been reported previously. The Health Services Academy under the Ministry of Health published ‘Quality Drinking Water Standards for Pakistan’ in May 2007. It should be noted that these standards were not officially implemented and monitored in 2008. The big question mark now lies if the provinces will follow suit or waste more time in policy making than deliverance.

Lastly, certainly not the least, the continuous foray by man-made and natural disasters will eventually desert the population of WASH conveniences if it has not already. The wars and catastrophes such as earthquakes and floods have physically damaged the prime sources. The key in relation to this is to reduce the risk of the disaster and to produce counter measures to control the force of misfortunes.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has had to pay the heaviest price due to the continuous overcast conditions caused by all sort of calamities. The lack of a counter measure system to control natural disasters, such as earthquakes and floods, are also due to the stagnant foreign policy which has aggravated the war on the western border area; days of complete despair are not far away.

In 2005, Ministry of Planning and Development stated that these problems are partly a result of a policy focus on irrigation, which prevailed in the Pakistani water policy for decades. This has changed to some extent since the Medium Term Development Framework 2005-2010 was passed. The framework provides for about US$404 million per year for water supply and sanitation and is accompanied by several policy documents with the objective to notably improve water and sanitation coverage and quality. However, the level of annual investment of US$4/capita still remains much below what would be necessary to achieve a significant increase in access and service quality. Moreover, the stance can be changed and scapegoats can be created by will to throw the responsibility on personalities or departments which are currently not incumbent.

To do planning in any period during the disaster cycle, the third sector and the government should follow The Sphere Project to protect and provide WASH facilities from the force of catastrophes. Launched in 1997 by a group of humanitarian NGOs and the Red Cross and Red Crescent movement, The Sphere Project is an initiative to define and uphold the standards by which the global community responds to the plight of people affected by disasters, principally through a set of guidelines that are set out in the Humanitarian Charter and
Minimum Standards in Disaster Response (commonly referred to as the Sphere Handbook).

To do planning in any period during the disaster cycle, the third sector and the government should follow The Sphere Project to protect and provide WASH facilities from the force of catastrophes. Sphere is three things; a handbook, a broad process of collaboration, and an expression of commitment to quality and accountability.

Sphere is based on two core beliefs: first, that those affected by disaster or conflict have a right to life with dignity and therefore a right to protection and assistance. Secondly, that all possible steps should be taken to alleviate human suffering arising out of disaster and conflict. Sphere is three things; a handbook, a broad process of collaboration, and an expression of commitment to quality and accountability. There is a Chapter in Sphere Handbook by the name of Minimum Standards in Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene. The Section extensively covers methods to preserve and provides solutions for water supply, sanitation & hygiene promotion, excreta disposal, vector disposal, solid waste management and drainage. The handbook is readily available on the internet free of charge.

Difference in what we should drink and what we drink

This sector needs attention and the grievances should be solved because not resolving this dilemma is like dropping an axe on your own foot. Most importantly, all stakeholders including the government, private sector, and the public have to realize that it is time to act sincerely and sensibly. Moreover, the government should encourage the third sector, i.e. the nonprofit sector; to invest charity into this impecunious area of work in building infrastructure and awareness which will reap benefits and deeds for the donor/facilitator even in the life hereafter.

Problems are many, solutions are plenty and pure intention is the only remedy. Let’s stop digging our graves to the point of no return. SAVE your blessings.