Water, once a universal symbol of purity and life, has increasingly become a commercial product driven by branding and profit. The global bottled water industry is now valued at over $300 billion and is projected to grow by more than 5% annually, dominated by corporations such as Nestlé, Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, which bottle and sell what naturally flows from the earth.
Nestlé alone operates more than 70 bottled water brands, including Pure Life and Perrier, extracting billions of litres of groundwater each year. In Pakistan, where more than 20 million people lack access to clean drinking water according to UNICEF, Nestlé draws groundwater from aquifers in Sheikhupura and Bhatti Gate, paying minimal fees while selling bottled water at prices many local residents cannot afford. Critics describe this as a silent erosion of dignity rather than just a financial loss.
The impact is increasingly visible on the ground. Communities near extraction sites in Punjab report drying wells and falling water levels. Research by the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources shows groundwater tables in some parts of Punjab are declining by one to three feet per year, with unregulated corporate extraction cited as a major contributor.
Despite this, bottled water companies continue to promote themselves as champions of sustainability, sponsoring water-saving campaigns and community projects while continuing large-scale extraction. Environmentalists argue such initiatives amount to token gestures against the scale of depletion.
The issue is compounded by consumer behavior and weak regulation. Governments issue extraction licences at negligible cost, while consumers increasingly turn to bottled water, often perceiving it as safer than tap water. Meanwhile, over 80% of plastic bottles are never recycled, according to UNEP, adding to environmental damage.
Experts argue meaningful solutions must come through stronger regulation, extraction quotas and community control over local water resources. Without political will and public pressure, they warn, treating water as a commodity rather than a basic right risks deepening inequality and threatening long-term sustainability.
BAHAWAL HUSSAIN CHATTHA
LAHORE
