Recently, the government of New Zealand declared Whanganui River as a living entity. The status gives the Whanganui same rights legal rights as a human being.

By following the footsteps of New Zealand, Uttarakhand High Court in India also declared the river Ganges as a living entity, with an aim to preserve its sanctity. As per new categorisation, anyone polluting the river, or harming it anyway, can be penalised the way a court can punish someone for hurting a human being. The authorities in Pakistan should also take similar steps in order to preserve the waters in country. This will not only discourage the industries who are polluting the river water by discharging untreated waste water which contains harmful and hazardous chemicals, but it will also allay water paucity tensions to some extent.

IZHAR HUSSAIN,

Rawalpindi, March 22.