ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) has expressed deep concern over the deteriorating quality of drinking water across the country, which continues to trigger widespread waterborne diseases.

`Water is the essence of life, yet millions of citizens are being forced to consume unsafe water due to systemic failures in municipal supply infrastructure. The recent government monitoring report issued by the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) revealed that 29 bottled water brands were declared unsafe for human consumption due to microbiological or chemical contamination,` Secretary General PMA Dr.

Abdul Ghafoor Shoro said in a statement.

The PMA has raised a fundamental question of who was responsible for registering, monitoring, and allowing those contaminated water suppliers to operate, and why were those selling unsafe water not being held accountable under penal laws? `In developed nations, the state assumes full responsibility for delivering clean, drinkable tap water directly to households, eliminating the need for bottled water altogether. Unfortunately, in a developing country like Pakistan, citizens are forced to buy expensive bottled water, only to find that many of these commercial brands are also sub-standard and unsafe`, Dr Shoro said.

The association has demanded that the provision of clean, purified drinking water must be treated as a basic constitutional right and a direct responsibility of the government. `Immediate legal action, heavy fines, and criminal prosecution must be initiated against companies and individuals distributing contaminated or unregistered drinking water`, it added.

Staff Reporter