KARACHI: Emphasising the need to improve access to clean drinking water and sanitation services for the general public, speakers at a programme held on Wednesday at a local hotel sharedthe successstoryof a recently concluded three-year initiative that benefited over 40,000 individuals living in vulnerable urban settlements across three major cities, including Karachi.

The WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) project, launched in 2022 by WaterAid Pakistan with the support of the PepsiCo Foundation, focused on expanding access to safe drinking water and promoting sustainable hygiene practices in underserved urban settlements, schools, and healthcare facilities in Karachi, Peshawar and Quetta.

As part of the project, water filtration systems were installed, water user communities were established, and public aware-ness sessions conducted to help ensure the sustainability of these services.

In Karachi, the project was implemented at four sites in the Malir district, benefiting more than 15,000 people.

Speaking at the event, Education Minister Syed Sardar Ali Shah described access to water and sanitation as a fundamental right, emphasising the need for greater efforts and accountability to ensure the provision of these basic services to all.

`WASH is fundamental to human dignity, education and health. Every child deserves clean water and safe sanitation. I acknowledge the role of organisations working on WASH and call for accountability across the board from government and civil society to individual citizens. We must work together to meet this basic need and build systems that are climateresilient and inclusive, he said. -Staff Reporter