"Strategy for Drinking Water Quality Improvement in the District of Mardan in NWFP of

Pakistan”
Author: Uzair Kamal (MDM 2010 AIM Philippines)

ABSTRACT
Mardan is the main city of Mardan District in the North-West Frontier Province of
Pakistan. It is the second largest city of NWFP. Mardan is under serious threat of
drinking water pollution. The drinking water quality of Mardan does not consistently
comply with WHO water quality standard. Seepage from municipal sewage and
industrial wastewater channel has caused a great threat to ground water quality. Pipe
water in Mardan is also contaminated because of leakages. Due to poor quality of
drinking water, many water-borne diseases have arisen in people of the District of
Mardan. The major diseases are Typhoid, Cholera and Amoebic dysentery etc.
Moreover, diarrhea is the leading cause of mortality and second leading cause of
morbidity among children under five years of age. Tehsil Municipal Administration
Mardan is responsible for operating and maintaining the water supply services. TMA
Mardan is facing serious challenges in maintaining an adequate level of water supply to
the people in Mardan city. The quality of the ground water being pumped into the
network is not tested and no proper baseline or monitoring data exist on the present and
possibly changes in the groundwater quality. Based on internal and external analyses
and identified key problems and opportunities, a drinking water strategy is prepared.
The strategy has been developed after organizational analysis of TMA Mardan which
includes review of documents, stakeholder interviews and focus group discussions with
TMA staff. The strategy is created as one of a series of local government measures to
address management of drinking water quality of Mardan where people are suffering
from waterborne diseases because of contaminated drinking water. This drinking water
strategy is a comprehensive plan of actions designed to deal with the risks that affect
drinking water and impacts the health of residents of the District of Mardan. The
strategy will provide more assurances to citizens of the District that local government is
helping to ensure the water they drink is safe. This Management Research Report will
contribute to future research on similar topics.