An awareness seminar was held at the head office of Alkhidmat Foundation Pakistan in connection with World Water Day, in collaboration with the Pakistan Engineers Forum.
The seminar was attended by Secretary General Alkhidmat Foundation Pakistan Syed Waqas Jafri, Vice President Syed Ehsanullah Waqas, President Pakistan Engineers Forum Hafiz Haider Ali, WASH experts Dr Shakeel Ahmed Khan, Dr Akhtar Ali, Zafar Iqbal Wattoo, and professionals from various fields.
Addressing the participants, the speakers highlighted the growing global and national water crisis, along with its social impacts, particularly on women and children.
Speaking on the occasion, Syed Waqas Jafri said that around 2.2 billion people worldwide lack access to safe drinking water, while nearly 4 billion face severe water scarcity for at least one month each year. He noted that Pakistan is also facing an acute shortage of clean water, with a large portion of the population deprived of safe drinking water, while contaminated water and poor sanitation pose serious health risks.
He further stated that Alkhidmat Foundation, under its WASH program, has completed more than 27,000 water projects across Pakistan, particularly in underprivileged areas. These clean water initiatives currently benefit over 7.682 million people daily.
Vice President Syed Ehsanullah Waqas said that World Water Day aims to raise awareness about the importance of water and the need for its conservation. He emphasized that Alkhidmat is striving to build a healthier society through its clean water initiatives.
He urged citizens to play their role in preventing water contamination and promoting responsible water use, warning that failure to act could deprive future generations of access to clean water.
On the occasion, Hafiz Haider Ali appreciated the humanitarian services of Alkhidmat Foundation and stressed the need for collective efforts by social organizations to address the worsening water crisis. He added that while welfare organizations like Alkhidmat are playing a significant role in providing clean drinking water, there is a pressing need for similar efforts at a larger scale at the government level.