Clean Water Scarcity Plagues KP Despite PTI’s Governance
Fakhar-e- Alam
Peshawar: While the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government remains embroiled in political maneuvering, millions of residents are grappling with a dire need for clean drinking water—a challenge that continues to haunt the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led provincial administration.
Thousands are already suffering from waterborne diseases, while millions either lack access to potable water or must travel long distances to fetch it. Among them is 28-year-old Malyar Khan from Mohib Banda village in Pabbi tehsil, who treks 10 kilometers daily to bring two gallons of drinking water from a tehsil municipal filtration plant.
“It is exhausting to travel such a distance after a day of labor just to fetch water,” Malyar lamented. “The groundwater in my village became contaminated after the 2022 floods, leaving me no choice but to rely on the filtration plant.”
Malyar’s plight is shared by many in Mohib Banda, Amankot, Dheri Mian Ishaq, Bela, Bara Banda, Korvi, and adjoining villages, where residents can often be seen transporting water on bikes, rickshaws, bicycles, and vehicles from tehsil Pabbi, Nowshera, and Peshawar.
Nasir Khan, a taxi driver from Hayatabad, Peshawar, faces similar struggles. “Sometimes, I have to buy water to meet my family’s needs because the water table in Hayatabad has dropped drastically due to overuse by domestic and commercial consumers,” he said.
He criticized the PTI’s inability to resolve this crisis during its consecutive terms in power, noting that the situation is worsening with each passing day.
Health Hazards of Contaminated Water
The widespread use of contaminated water is a ticking time bomb for public health. According to Dr. Tahir Ali Khan, Principal of Sardar Begum Dental College, Peshawar, consuming such water exposes people to diseases like intestinal infections, diarrhea, cholera, typhoid, hepatitis, and even cancer.
“Around 40 percent of annual deaths in KP, including the erstwhile FATA, are linked to unhealthy water,” he claimed. Dr Khan also highlighted the prevalence of dental diseases in regions like Mardan and Khyber due to fluoride contamination in the water.
Dr. Jahangir Shah, Director General of the Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR), echoed these concerns. He cited bacterial contamination and aging infrastructure, particularly in Peshawar, as major culprits. “Rusty and damaged water pipes allow clean water from tube wells to mix with sewage, especially in areas like Gunj, Kohati, and Kakshal,” he explained.
Dr. Shah also warned of a looming water scarcity crisis, urging the promotion of conservation practices. “If we do not act now, we could face severe water shortages in the next 10 to 12 years,” he said.
Efforts and Gaps
Despite decades of inaction, some initiatives are underway to tackle the water crisis. Hassan Khan, an official with the Water and Sanitation Services Program (WSSP) Peshawar, said his organization recently partnered with the Initiative for Empowerment Axis (IDEA) to improve water access for Peshawar residents.
Under a $4.5 million federal project, over 45 water testing laboratories across Pakistan, including KP, have been upgraded with state-of-the-art equipment. Mobile labs now travel to remote areas for water testing, benefiting an estimated 60 million people nationwide.
Provincial Minister for Public Health Engineering Pakhtoon Yar pointed to large-scale projects like the Jabba and Bara dams as part of efforts to address the crisis.
The Jabba dam, with a storage capacity of 38,000 gallons, aims to provide clean water to over one million people in Peshawar, Hayatabad, and Khyber. Similarly, the Bara dam, designed to last 80 to 100 years with a capacity of 88,000 acre-feet, is expected to meet the water needs of Bara Bazaar and Hayatabad.
Additionally, under the Swat Greater Water Supply Scheme, water from the Swat River will be treated and supplied to residents of Mingora City, while streams and springs in Abbottabad will feed a treatment plant near Choona.
A Call for Urgency
Despite these efforts, the pace of progress remains slow, leaving residents like Malyar and Nasir frustrated. Experts emphasize the need for an accelerated and holistic approach to resolve the crisis at the grassroots level.
“Promoting water conservation and investing in infrastructure upgrades are critical,” Dr. Shah stressed, adding that the government must prioritize public health by ensuring access to clean drinking water.
As the residents of KP continue to endure the daily struggle for water, the onus lies on the provincial government to deliver sustainable solutions, not only to safeguard public health but also to prevent the financial burden of treating waterborne diseases.
The feature report was released by APP and reproduced by The PenPK.com. The statistics used in the report are the sole responsibility of the author.
