ASSIGNMENT ON CLEAN WATER AND SANITATION
SUBMITTED BY
Lorem ipsum (20507)
Lorem ipsum (20507)
SESSION: 2015 – 2018
SUBMITTED TO: lorem ipsum
LAHORE COLLEGE FOR WOMEN UNIVERSITY, LAHORE
Introduction
Water is vital for all life. Every living creature needs water to survive. We can live without
eating food for a month but without water we cannot survive for more than three days. Without
its presence, life would cease to exist. Water constitutes 60 percent of our body weight which
means that all our cells, organs and tissues use water to help regulate the body temperature and
maintain other bodily functions. It is highly important that we stay hydrated and drink a lot of
fluids and foods that contain water because our bodies are designed to lose water through
breathing, sweating and digestion.
Water impacts our life in the following ways:
It helps to create saliva that is crucial for breaking down food.
It prevents dehydration which is dangerous for our health as it can cause kidney failure.
It regulates the body temperature.
It aids in cognitive functions. Insufficient intake of water negatively impacts our focus,
alertness and short term memory.
It protects the tissues, spinal cord and joints as it provides them with lubrication.
Water is essential to all life and having safe-drinking water, sanitation and hygiene is critical to
human health and well-being. Drinking impure water can be harmful to health as it can cause
various diseases and illnesses such as diarrhea, cholera, dysentery, hepatitis A and more. While
using unclean water for washing can cause skin and infectious eye disease such as Trachoma that
leads to visual impairment or even blindness.
In Pakistan, there are many cities that lack clean water for drinking and washing. In this report,
we shall look into the problems faced by Karachi for having unclean water and poor sanitation
and what solutions we need to opt to solve these issues.
The Problem
Karachi is the largest city and the financial center of Pakistan yet it is exposed to major
infrastructure deficits. Our main focus is the unclean water and poor sanitary conditions in
Karachi which have put the citizens at risk of weak healthcare system and made them vulnerable
to different infectious diseases.
Given below are some of the causes of impure water and poor sanitation system in Karachi.
Decades old sewerage system: The sewerage system of the city is very old which causes the
sewerage lines to get choked up from time to time. The sewage overflows and spreads on the
roads or gets leaked in the water pipes. This makes the water highly unclean, unfit for drinking
and becomes the reason of diseases such as diarrhea, cholera, dysentery, hepatitis A etc.
Lack of regular cleaning of pipes: The city also has poor sewer line maintenance which results
in debris and forming of wastage causing slow drainage. Leaving the pipes unmaintained for
longer periods of times also gives rise to blockage which in turn damages the pipes. This
explains the leakage of sewage into water pipes.
Stagnant water: When the water mixed with sewage overflows, outspreads in the streets and
becomes stagnant there for longer periods then it causes the growth of mosquitos. These insects
become carriers for harmful diseases such as malaria and dengue.
Microbial and chemical contamination: Chemical waste from factories also worsen the
situation. This waste along with pesticides and fertilizers further pollute the city’s water.
Residents have also complained that the water tastes salty or looks cloudy and have often found
insects in it.
Open defecation: While the city contains public toilets but their condition in extremely horrid
and the few that remain have become hangout spots for the city’s delinquents. This has lead the
citizens to use open areas for excretion. This further contaminates the water and accelerates the
spread of disease like rotavirus and helicobacter.
Our Solution
In light of problems which have been mentioned above, we suggest following the points below,
to solve them.
First and foremost, we need to raise awareness among the general public regarding safe
drinking water and better sanitary conditions. They should be made conscious of the
harmful effects and the diseases caused by drinking and using unclean water.
Since the sewerage line of Karachi is very old, therefore, we need to maintain it so that it
may last. The steps we can follow include; limiting food down the kitchen drain line,
flushing the plumbing system, properly disposing the small, non-food items such as
dental floss, cigarettes and hair etc. these materials can pile up in the pipe and cause a
blockage and avoid using harsh chemical clog removers as they are hard on the pipes.
Cleaning out sewer lines can frequently prevent clogs, providing a smooth flow to the
drain. Furthermore, having sewer lines flushed and cleaned to avoid a buildup can speed
up the drainage system.
For repairing the damaged pipes, we can use pipe lining which works by placing an
inflatable tube covered in epoxy into the sewer line. After its placement, the tube is
inflated which presses against the pipe. While it is up against the existing sewage line, the
epoxy cures and hardens, repairing the leak.
For contaminated water, it is necessary that it gets treated properly first so that it is safe
for the public for consumption.
To reduce the issue of open defecation, the troublesome people gathering in the public
toilets should be kicked out while the remaining toilets should be cleaned regularly by the
sweepers so that people are less inclined to use open area for excretion.
References
https://www.indiahomehealthcare.com/blogpost/the-importance-of-water-in-our-daily-
lives/
https://www.who.int/health-topics/water-sanitation-and-hygiene-wash#tab=tab_1
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35638014/#:~:text=In%20Karachi%2C%20causes
%20of%20this,Karachi%27s%20already%20scarce%20water%20supply.
https://dailytimes.com.pk/57638/sewerage-problem-in-karachi/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9142649/
