Daily Times

Population explosion, vehicular emissions and industrial effluents in urban areas and use of pesticides and insecticides in rural areas are continuously disturbing our natural resources balance particularly polluting our air and groundwater.

As the water provides for our main lifeline, polluting this resource specifically means ruining the health of our people exerting extra financial burden on individuals and national economy. Today, even the groundwater pumped-out from 100 feet depth is contaminated with different chemicals and salts injurious to human health.

Improper industrial waste treatment and throwing industrial effluent into water courses flowing through the cities and to the adjacent agricultural land had further aggravated the situation as except a few major export-oriented units; there is no in-house treatment plant at industrial units.

Residents of Faisalabad are more prone to this hazard where only source to drain out industrial, domestic and even rain water is sewer system of Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA). In rainy season, this sewer system starts over flowing with water moving to low-lying areas and open spaces later on penetrating down to groundwater badly effecting water table and poor and low income groups who commonly use this water for drinking purposes.

“Around 80 percent diseases in Faisalabad are water borne and children are worst hit by contaminants in groundwater,” claimed Dr Muhammad Iqbal, former Head Pediatrics Ward, Ghulam Muhammad Abad hospital. “Water in Faisalabad is hard and contains potassium, sodium, magnesium more than the prescribed ratio.”

Pakistan Council for Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) in its January-March 2024 conducted survey had also mentioned to continuously deteriorating water quality due to biological contamination from human waste, chemical pollutants and agricultural inputs.

It had also mentioned to contamination of piped water due to their laying close to sewerage lines or open drains that also result in serious water borne diseases. Another PCRWR study also revealed that 59 percent sources of potable water in Faisalabad were unfit for drinking as its water supply was mostly dependent on surface and groundwater. The main sources of microbial contamination are mentioned as Chloride, Fluoride, Hardness and TDS as the groundwater is also polluted due to prevalence of Sodium-Bicarbonate, Magnesium-Bicarbonate, Sodium-Chloride, Calcium-Bicarbonate and Sodium-Sulphate. “Arsenic contamination is a serious issue. It increases risk of cancer and other diseases in human beings,” remarked Waqar Hussain, Incharge PCRWR Water Quality Lab Faisalabad. “Main sources of arsenic contamination are disposal of industrial waste, smelting of arsenic bearing minerals, burning of fossil fuels and application of arsenic compounds in products like insecticides, herbicides, phosphate fertilizers, semiconductor industries and timber.”

Health experts also believe that aquatic life in Faisalabad is badly affected by pumping out industrial waste directly into canals or drains that mixes with ground water. As, concerned departments were unable to provide portable water to 100% population, majority is compelled to use this contaminated groundwater for drinking purpose.

Social activist Abdullah Nisar Khan has urged these departments to adopt a comprehensive strategy to tackle this situation. “There is only one waste water treatment plant in Achkera, a few kilometers away from Paharang Drain. Water treated at this facility is healthy for irrigation, but it is thrown into Paharang drain after treatment, where it once again mixes with polluted water.”

Mentioning to another plant constructed to treat effluents of Maddhona drain, Nisar Khan urged its early completion also stressing ban on plastic bags that choke majority of city drains. “As the government departments fall short of dispensing their duties, the civil society must join hands to demand action against water contamination.”

He also emphasized to lay separate drainage system for industrial effluent, install treatment plants and use treated water for irrigation. “We can cut down our health budget up to 50 % only by providing potable water to the masses and we should do it urgently.”

According to WASA officials 345 out of 360 water filtration plants are functioning in different parts of the city to provide clean drinking water. These filtration plants were installed by the government and NGOs on public-private partnership basis and are now looked after by Lasani Welfare Trust.

The WASA spokesman claimed that it was catering to need of 70 % city population by supplying 88.5 million gallons per day (mgp) including 56 mgp through 29 tube wells from Chiniot Well Field Area, 20 mgp through 25 tube wells from Jhang Branch Canal, 8 mgp through 8 tube wells from Rakh Branch Canal and 4.5 mgp from Jhall Khannuana and Millat Town water works. “We do not deal with water filteration plants as it was the project of Municipal Corporation Faisalabad,” he said and informed that work on a water treatment plant near Maddhuana Drain has not yet started and is still in files only.

Talking of rural areas, the statistics show that there are 345 water filtration plants in more than 840 villages of the district that are quite insufficient to meet the residents need of clean drinking water. Therefore, it is direly needed for the authorities to focus this problem on priority for better health of masses and reducing healthcare expenses incurred every year on patients suffering from water borne diseases.