THIS refers to the report ‘Punjab-Sindh dispute over water deepens’ (June 13). The water crisis in Sindh, though seemingly political, has once again reminded the stark realities about the water issues the country has been facing since long, which may shortly transform to catastrophic situation if not addressed urgently and effectively. The availability and quality of water, or lack of it, in Pakistan has various dimensions. The per capita water availability has been decreasing rapidly in recent years, having reached currently an alarming level of 908 cubic meters that is even below the water scarcity level of 1,000 cubic meters, or 1,000,000 litres. This means Pakistan is already a water-scarce country. Only 35 per cent of the population has access to clean drinking water. Sadly, water accessibility has been declining persistently, in particular since 2005 on a year-on-year basis. The situation is compounded as the available drinking water is unsafe, specifically in urban and rural areas of Sindh and Punjab. The impact of contaminated water on human health is of great concern.