A child drinking water from the tap. PHOTO: REUTERS
PESHAWAR:
As Peshawar grapples with a worsening water and sanitation emergency, tests have found 84 per cent of the city’s water supply to be contaminated, with experts warning the crisis is fuelling the spread of polio and other waterborne diseases across the provincial capital.
According to a survey by UNICEF, nearly 400,000 people in Peshawar are still deprived of basic toilet facilities.
Moreover, health experts warn that unsafe drinking water, open defecation and inadequate sanitation are directly driving increases in diarrhoea, polio and other preventable illnesses.
The crisis has been compounded by rapid population growth. Peshawar’s population has crossed 2.4 million, with an annual growth rate of 2.86 per cent, placing immense pressure on already fragile water and sanitation systems.
According to the UNICEF data, around 80 per cent of the city’s water sources are contaminated, leaving only 20 per cent safe for drinking. At the same time, groundwater levels are falling at an alarming rate.
According to the K-P Mouza Census 2020, the average groundwater table has dropped to 188 feet, posing a serious long-term sustainability threat.
While the survey shows that water availability is considered adequate in 79.6 per cent of areas and that 83.4 per cent of households have access to water, experts stress that quality, not quantity, is the core issue.
Widespread contamination by E. coli bacteria has been detected, affecting 13.6 per cent of water sources.
The contamination rate stands at 12.9 per cent in rural areas but rises sharply to a dangerous 17.5 per cent in urban localities. Only 13.6 per cent of water samples were found to be free from E. coli.
Chemical contamination
Similarly, chemical contamination has also further worsened the situation. The report found nitrate contamination in 13.8 per cent of samples, fluoride in 1.2 per cent, iron in 3.3 per cent and water hardness (calcium carbonate) in 14.6 per cent — all of which can cause serious health problems with prolonged consumption.
Sanitation conditions are equally troubling. The survey revealed that 9.5 per cent of Peshawar’s population, which is approximately 400,000 people, still lacks access to toilets. The report states that open defecation and poor hygiene practices are playing a major role in the spread of polio and other waterborne diseases.
Overburdened city
Environmental expert Haseeb Khan said Peshawar was an “overburdened city”, adding that population inflows from conflict-affected districts had worsened existing problems. He identified poor governance as the root cause. “Lawmakers are more focused on politics and protests than on public welfare,” he said.
He pointed out that the city still lacks a complete sewerage system. “At the time of the master plan, only Hayatabad and Warsak Road were allocated sewerage networks, and no effective expansion has taken place since,” he said.
