KARACHI, Jan 13 The Sindh High Court on Wednesday ordered formation of a high-powered committee to formulate means and measures to ensure regular supply of clean water to the public.

A division bench comprising Justices Mushir Alam and Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi was seized with a petition filed by Advocate Islam Hussain.

Citing the federal ministry, provincial health department, City District Government Karachi (CDGK) and the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) as respondents, the petitioner submitted that two gifts of nature — pure water and air — were not available to people. He quoted a World Health Organisation (WHO) study suggesting that every third Pakistani drank unsafe water.

The court observed that the high-powered committee might be formed in consultation with the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board chairman and the city nazim within 10 days to formulate and suggest means and measures to ensure a regular supply of clean water to the people.

The petitioner, referring to the WHO report, stated that 15 out of 48 collected brands of bottled water were also found unfit for human consumption.

He said that 36 per cent of the population of Sindh and Punjab was exposed to arsenic levels up to 50ppb as 99 per cent of industrial effluent and 92 per cent of urban wastewater was discharged untreated into the rivers and the sea.

The petitioner stated that 250,000 child deaths occurred each year due to water-borne diseases while the health costs were estimated at Rs114 billion.

He submitted that impure and polluted water, which was highly injurious to human health, was supplied to citizens through tankers.

The petitioner added that the water supplied through pipelines was also impure, because sewerage and drinking water pipes ran side by side and due to leakage, filthy sewage became mixed with drinking water, causing various chest and stomach diseases.

The petitioner submitted that even the so-called mineral water marketed by various popular brands was neither pure nor mineral water.

He also prayed to the court to direct the government to stop the supply of hydrant water through tankers till it was tested and found fit for human consumption.