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Lying on a bed at the labour unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), Rita Begum is indeed very happy and proud. She has become mother of an angel like baby girl. The child is now safe under her mother's observant eyes. But how will she grow up in a city of pollution, over population and traffic mismanagement?

Acute power and water crisis continued in Sukkur despite many protests of people as frequency and duration of loadshedding has increased making life more difficult for public. Power crisis which started three months ago has been translated into an acute water shortage in the city especially for thickly populated New Pind, Shah Khalid colony, Bihar colony, New Goth, Neem Ki Chari, Jillani road, Islam Ganj, Queens road, Ayub Gate, Takkar Muhalla areas. Residents of these areas fetch water from hand pumps in low lying areas.

In view of the deteriorating water situation in the province, the Environment Protection Department (EPD) announced a scheme to monitor various types of surface water sources in Punjab including rivers, lakes, canals and wetlands here on Monday. The scheme will include a profiling of the water bodies, an estimation of various loads of pollution (organic and inorganic) being discharged in surface water bodies, a public information and awareness drive for the conservation of water and reduction of pollution, as well as greater collaboration between the various government bodies involved.

Alternate Energy Development Board (AEDB) Chairman Muhammad Yousuf Memon has said the government is actively considering proposals to address the problems of the people of desert areas of Sindh. Memon, talking to people during his visit to different villages of Tharparkar district, said the issues to be addressed would particularly included provision for energy and safe water, according to a press release issued here on Friday. The prime objective of the government, he said, was to provide all facilities to the people of the desert as well as remote parts of the country.

Hesco's unannounced loadshedding is costing people living in various pockets of the city dearly because they are not only experiencing acute water shortage but paying exorbitant rates to private water tanker owners for getting supply of water. Almost all water reservoirs of Wasa have been hit by non-supply of electricity while on account of non-availability of required number of water tankers the Wasa is unable to reach any locality hit by water shortage.

The India Infrastructure Report 2008 discusses: competitive bidding models for infrastructure projects and critical factors required for a minimum subsidy model to succeed; models on auction bidding for rural infrastructure, e-governance, and multi-channel delivery mechanism; tolling and payment mechanism models for roads, railways, and airports; models for public service financing and affordable

The world is facing a food crisis because it is running out of water to support food production, according to an environmental consultant and author. Speaking at the opening of the Water, Finance and Sustainability 2008 conference in London, Fred Pearce, author of When the Rivers Run Dry, said major changes were needed to find enough water for everyone to use. He said many developed countries have even higher water consumption rates than it first appears because of the global trade in virtual water - the water used to produce food which is exported and imported.

Several parts of the city continued to experience an acute shortage of water on Monday because of faulty water distribution system and frequent power failures, which have been badly affecting pumping

An acute shortage of irrigation water, which is also a major source of drinking water for over 1.2 million people of the coastal area, has on the one hand done irreparable harm to standing crops, fish

About 60 persons including 25 children were taken ill in two incidents of water contamination and food poisoning in two villages in the district on Sunday.

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