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DAM-L Fw: [Eco-list] Hudiara Drain highly polluted (fwd)
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Date: Wed, 07 Nov 2001 11:40:58 -0600
Subject: Fw: [Eco-list] Hudiara Drain highly polluted
To: dianne@sandelman.ottawa.on.ca
Message-ID: <200111071144718.SM00440@mail.iatp.org>
Right to Water (right-to-water@iatp.org) Posted: 11/07/2001 By daima@brain.net.pk
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Hudiara Drain highly polluted
The Nation, By Raza Kharal, 7/11/2001
http://www.nation.com.pk/daily/today/national/lhr1.htm
LAHORE_Provincial Secretary Environment Protection Department, Brig (Retd)
Riaz Bashir has said that despite shortage of staff EPD has contributed
towards the decrease of pollution. Understaffed Environment Protection
Agency cannot ensure implementation of the laws effectively. He was speaking
at a seminar on the findings of a one year study of the Hudiara Drain here
Tuesday. The seminar had been organised by WWF-Pakistan, at a local hotel.
The project sponsored by UNDP was conducted in collaboration with EPD,
Punjab and Soil Survey of Pakistan.
The Secretary said project for the water treatment plant at Sialkot was
underway with the financial assistance of private sector. He said EPD was in
the process of reconstruction. Earlier Ali Hassan Habib, Director General
WWF-Pakistan, said that water quality monitoring of Hudiara was needed to
assess water pollution. He acknowledged the role of EPD, Punjab and Soil
Survey of Pakistan in the execution of project. He hoped that the UNDP will
continue to assist WWF-Pakistan in its mission towards better environment.
Hamad Naqi Khan, Director EPU, WWF-Pakistan in his introductory speech said
that Hudiara drain starts from Batala in Gurdaspur district, India and
enters Pakistan near village Laloo. The total length of the drain is 98.6
Km, 44.2 km in Indian territory and 54.4 Km in Pakistan. The drain was
originally a storm water drain. However dumping of industrial and domestic
waste water has turned it into a perennial drain. There are approximately
100 different industries situated along Hudiara Drain in Pakistan which dump
effluents into it.
Hamad Naqi said that objective of the project was to monitor the water
quality of Hudiara drain systematically and regularly for 12 months. The
project had been designed to underline various pollution threats to
international waters. It also built the capacity of different partners which
play a key role in mitigating the threats to environment. He said the
project includes water analysis, soil analysis and community based survey.Dr
Shagufta Shahjehan, Deputy Director Labs, EPD-Punjab spoke on the testing
procedures. Muhammad Ikram Khan, Research Officer Soil Survey of Pakistan,
provided details of soil analysis. Fayaz Baqir and Farhan Sami also spoke on
the occasion.
According to the findings of the study of Hudiara Drain dissolved oxygen
contents of the drain are extremely low and cannot support any form of
aquatic life in the drain. Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen
demand (COD), total suspended solids and sulfides are greater than
acceptable values of NEQS devised for effluents and wastewater. This was
found after analysis of water at three sapling points of Hudiara Drain. The
saplings were collected for 12 months on a fortnightly basis. At each
sampling point 24 water samples were collected over the whole monitoring
period.
According the findings most metals showed a general decrease in
concentration from sampling points 1 to 3. Considering NEQs , metals
concentration in the drain water is acceptable, however Cd, Cu and Mu
average values exceed the FAO irrigation standards. Biological contamination
was found throughout the monitoring period and most of the pollution indices
were found above River Water Quality Standards. So far soil analysis of the
area adjoining the cadmium concentration in soil for vegetable production,
was greater than the maximum permissible limit of European Community. Other
soil subjected to drain's water irrigation was showed higher Cd
concentration which may prove harmful for cultivation.
The epidemiological study showed the incidence of water borne diseases for
example eye, skin, diarrhea, dysentery and other abdominal diseases at
increased rates among villagers who come in contact with the polluted water
of this drain. The study has found the over all pollution in Hudiara Drain
and its contribution to the River Ravi. Hudiara Drain is a prime example of
trans-boundry pollution, and any programme of the treatment of water can not
be implemented successfully without the cooperation of Indian Government.
The level of contamination in the Hudiara Drain is very high and it may have
contaminated the shallow ground water table. Since local people use pumps
which extract water from a depth of approximately 40-60 feet, therefore the
assessment of both biological and chemical contamination is necessary.
Development VISIONS
48-A, Shalimar Colony
Bosan Road,
Multan-Pakistan.
Phone: 92-61-222609
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