KARACHI: The Sindh High Court has issued instructions to both federal and provincial authorities, mandating the enforcement of stringent regulations to ensure the safety and quality of bottled water in Pakistan.
In a hearing led by Justice Salahuddin Panhwar, the court called on bottled water companies to disclose their water purification techniques, bottling procedures, and the use of any additives to maintain purity.
This order arose from a legal challenge by Nestle Pakistan Limited against the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) over the rules governing the fees and permissions for extracting subsoil water.
The court scheduled further discussions for August 16, serving notices to various stakeholders including the Sindh chief secretary, KWSC, the irrigation department, the ministry of commerce, the Pakistan Standard and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA), and the Pakistan Council for Research in Water Resources (PCRWR).
Emphasizing the crucial roles of PSQCA and PCRWR, the bench stressed the importance of comprehensive verification processes to ensure that bottled water adheres to both national and international safety standards. The court also underscored the need for ongoing, unscheduled inspections and rigorous testing protocols to uphold water quality.
The judges noted that while the Pakistani Constitution does not explicitly recognize the right to water as a fundamental human right, this right is inherently linked to the constitutional rights to life and human dignity. The Supreme Court has interpreted these rights to include access to clean and safe drinking water as essential to life and dignity.
The court pointed out the ongoing challenges in effectively implementing this right through suitable legislative, regulatory, and enforcement mechanisms, and called for a robust approach to safeguard public health through improved water safety standards.
