Close on the heels of Pakistan's president Pervez Musharraf announcing a three-year target to make potable water available to all, six people died due to water contamination in Lahore, Punjab's capital. At least 500 others fell sick. The mishap was caused by the mixing of sewage into the drinking water supply of a poor, densely populated locality in the city.

"We can confirm six people died because of gastroenteritis ...We've seen about 500 patients up to yesterday (June 30, 2005),' said Punjab's health minister Tahir Ali Javed. Tankers have been employed to supply water in the affected locality and replacement of old water pipes has been ordered. Just a few days ago, water contamination had claimed many lives in the Sindh province, where the danger has become a regular feature (see Down To Earth,