Senior Minister of Education and Literacy Pir Mazhar-ul-Haq said on Monday that lessons should be included in the curriculum regarding creating awareness about the use of pure drinking water among the masses. Speaking as chief guest at a seminar titled “Water as Corporate Social Responsibility”, Pir said, “Access to pure drinking water is a basic human right.”
Organized by the Human Rights Group of Pakistan (HRGP) here at a local hotel, the moot was attended among others by Sindh Minister for Information Sharjeel Memon, HRGP Chairman Dr Sher Ali Rizvi, Coordinator to Chief Minister Sindh on Human Rights Nadia Gabol, and foreign experts from various regions of the world.
Pir said that many health hazards were being invited due to unsafe drinking water and this matter should be seriously taken up by all stakeholders. The people in remote areas of the province were very happy because the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) led government had installed reverse osmosis plants to provide the rural population pure drinking water at their door steps, he added.
In his address, Information Minister Sharjeel Memon said the provincial government had earmarked Rs 8.5 billion in the current budget (financial year 2013) to be used for the provision of clean drinking water through drinking water hubs, reverse osmosis plants, ultra filtration plants and desalination plants in various parts of the province.
Memon said pure drinking water was the basic need of all human beings and the government had entirely focused on providing basic facilities to the people.
An African expert named Ramzi Odabid said that Africa was looking towards Pakistan as a role model for water management. The government’s role was lauded by Sconke of UNOCHP for taking such solid initiatives on the public level. Later awards were distributed among the participants of the seminar.
