MARDAN: A National Conference on Sanitation held on the occasion of World Toilet Day at a local hotel in Sukkur.
Experts termed wastewater disposal and provision of clean drinking water as major challenges for the country. They demanded for implementation of the National policy of Sanitation and Water to achieve Sustainable Development Goals.
Civil society representatives, environmentalists and leaders of social organizations have said that sanitation has become a challenge for the country, while most of the country’s population was deprived of clean drinking water and Sanitation.
They have demanded from the federal and provincial governments that in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, it is necessary to get cabinet approval for the draft policy on clean drinking water and sanitation in the 2006 Conference on Sustainable Development and implement it practically.
They made this demand while speaking at the National Sanitation Conference held at a local hotel in Sukkur on the occasion of World Toilet Day.
The conference was organized in collaboration with Fresh Water Action Network South Asia-Pakistan, Khairpur Rural Development Organization, Integrated Regional Support Program (IRSP) and Hope Organization.
Addressing the conference, Shah Nasir, a leader of a social organization in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said that the reason for the increase in diseases in our cities and villages is not keeping the environment clean. Shah Nasir said that the government has set sustainable development goals by the year 2030, which include clean water and sanitation. Syed Shah Nasir Khisro Executive Director at IRSP said that through today’s conference, we demand the Four Provinces of the Pakistan including Sindh, Punjab, Baluchistan and KPK governments to get approval from their respective cabinet to implement National Policy on Water and sanitation.
He said that every stake holder presented in the conference should have to create awareness about the access of clean drinking water.
He said that water of Manchar lake which is a largest lake in South Asia also became contaminated.
He said that formulated Policies should be regulated in order to meet the climate challenges.
Ikhtiar Ahmed Khaskheli CEOf of Khairpur Rural Development Organization said that the issue of sewage has become a challenge for the country, the majority of the country’s population is deprived of clean drinking water.
He said that cleanliness is half of faith, generally the impression of a civilized family is taken from the cleanliness of their house and washrooms.
Renowned journalist Imtiaz Hussain Phulpoto said that 17 sustainable development goals were set for 2030, which include clean drinking water and sanitation, we must ask our public representatives what number of priorities clean water and sanitation are for citizens in the party manifesto.
He said that annually 2.5 Million Children dying in Diarrhea and other endemic diseases in Pakistan, but Priority of the government is to engage a nation on 26th amendment and other issues.
He said that Media playing important role to held accountable to the Political parties to ask from the party representatives regarding a meeting of the basic fundamental rights.
Vice Chairman Municipal Corporation Makki Shah Ghulam Murtaza Ghanghro, while addressing the sanitation conference, said that apart from public representatives, the role of every individual in the society is important in sanitation, everyone will have to work together for improvement.
Assistant Director of Environmental Protection Agency Sukkur Anil Kumar said that EPA is working with government agencies regarding environment and sanitation.
He said that dumping sewage water into irrigation canals and rivers is very dangerous for humans, aquatic creatures, birds and our agriculture because it contains dangerous bacteria.
Shabana Weser of NISA Foundation, Zahid Khaskheli of Hands, Abdul Jabbar, Saddam Buriro and others also spoke on the occasion.
