Re: Government Negligence Killing Rivers in India

On Jun 11, 4:34 pm, Muhammad Javed Iqbal <kaleemjavediq...@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:


abbey chooop Kali Kaleem......read about the cleanliness of all Paki
rivers from Punjab to Karachi to Baluchistan.


http://www.wwfpak.org/factsheets_wps.php



According to WHO, groundwater of Lahore up to 700-ft deep has been
seriously contaminated and should not be used for human consumption.
In 1989, pollution was found to a depth of 300-ft, and to 500-ft in
1992.




Water Pollution Factsheet....the rivers of pakistan

SOME MORE LOVELY PHOTOS OF PAKISTAN KARACHI...WHERE YOU LIVE

http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0148,kamberphotos,30067,1.html

Water is polluted when it contains materials that make it unsuitable
for a given use
The story so far:
Fresh water is fundamental to the survival of humans and most other
land-based life forms.
Ninety seven per cent of the earth's water is the salt water of oceans
and seas. Most of the remaining 3 per cent is in polar ice caps,
glaciers, the atmosphere or underground and hard to reach. Only 0.4
per cent is available for use. This water supply is maintained by
water evaporating from oceans and lakes and then falling to the earth
as rain in a process called the 'water cycle'.
However, growing population, increased economic activity and
industrialisation has resulted in an increased demand for fresh water.
In addition, rapid urbanisation is changing patterns of consumption.
This has caused a severe misuse of water resources. Discharging
untreated sewage and chemical wastes directly into rivers, lakes and
drains has become a traditional habit. Water bodies can no longer cope
with the increasing pollution load.
In Pakistan, water is mainly used for industrial, agricultural and
domestic purposes.

The following table shows its percentage consumption for every use.

Purpose Percentage

Agriculture 69%
Industry 23%
Domestic uses 8%

Since most water is being used by the agricultural sector, irrigation
can cause waterlogging and salinity. This happens when the water table
rises close to the surface of the soil. If plants do not use this
water, it evaporates, leaving salts behind. Even in uncultivated,
barren lands, a water table within 2 meters of the surface can cause
salinity in the soil. If irrigation water containing high levels of
contaminants evaporates, it can result in damage to the soil.
The Punjab province draws its major share of drinking water from the
natural ground water aquifer. Groundwater becomes contaminated when
chemicals from surface water seep into soil and come in contact with
the flowing groundwater. The movement of groundwater is through open
spaces in soil and rock layers, which is usually very slow, indicating
a very low dilution of contaminants. According to WHO, groundwater of
Lahore up to 700-ft deep has been seriously contaminated and should
not be used for human consumption. In 1989, pollution was found to a
depth of 300-ft, and to 500-ft in 1992.

Sources of surface and ground water pollution
• Municipal Sewage

Municipal sewage is a major source of pollution. About 2 million wet
tonnes of human excreta are annually produced in the urban sector of
which around 50% go into water bodies to pollute them. National
Conservation Strategy (NCS) states that almost 40% of deaths are
related to water borne diseases.
Domestic wastewater collects on the streets and in low-lying areas.
The situation is further aggravated by the addition of untreated
wastes from small-scale industries.
In Pakistan, drinking water supply lines and open sewage drains in the
streets are laid side by side. As a result, water is frequently
contaminated when pipes erode. Most main sewers are between 30-50ft
below ground level and are made of 10ft cement sections linked without
proper safety seals. Poor connections combined with deteriorating low
quality sewer pipes cause a lot of leakage. This outflow from sewer
mixes with the water table and the contamination is carried to deeper
levels. Hence the ground water which is considered safe becomes
adulterated with everything from PCBs, lead, cyanides, mercury,
solvents, hydrocarbon compounds, hospital and pharmaceutical industry
waste.
Ravi teems with toxic industrial effluent and untreated domestic
sewage as soon as it enters Pakistan. This has made it literally a
large open sewer.

• Industries

Industrial wastewater contains toxic chemicals. It is alarming that
most industries have been started without proper planning and waste
treatment plants. They just dispose of untreated toxic waste into
nearby drains, canals or rivers. Lahore, Faisalabad, Karachi, Sialkot
contribute major pollution loads into their water bodies.
According to an EPD source, 9000 million gallons of wastewater having
20,000 tons of BOD5 loading are daily discharged into water bodies
from the industrial sector. [Proceedings of International Symposium by
CEWR in 1993, Paper by M.A. Saleemi]. Automobile service stations are
another major contributor to surface water pollution. Untreated oil,
grease and dirt find its way into nearby canals and rivers where it
damages the ecosystem.

• Landfills & Leaching

Leaching is the process where chemicals from a material dissolve into
water while it is being filtered through that material. The resulting
mixture is called leachate consisting of residues from decomposed
organic matter and metals.
Major contributors to leachate are municipal solid waste, hospital
waste, chemical fertilisers, pesticides, stagnant ponds, toxic
industrial waste, and sewage. Rusting cans, discarded batteries and
appliances, paints, pesticides, cleaning fluids, newspaper inks, and
other chemicals may also add to the toxic mixture of leachate.

• Agriculture

Excessive and uncontrolled use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides
promotes contaminated agricultural run off. This not only pollutes the
surface drains but the water trickling down to lower layers of soil
causes a severe contamination of the natural aquifer. Over abstraction
of groundwater prompts recharge from the surface water drains, which
themselves are severely contaminated.

• Water pollution and humans

The WHO reports that 25-30% of all hospital admissions are connected
to water borne bacterial and parasitic conditions, with 60% of infant
deaths caused by water infections.
The long-term effects on human health of pesticides and other
pollutants include colon and bladder cancer, miscarriage, birth
defects, deformation of bones, and sterility.
Contamination of fresh water with radionuclides, which can result from
mining, testing, disposal and manufacturing of radioactive material,
as well as transportation accidents, has led to increased incidences
of cancer, developmental abnormalities and death.
Cesspools of stagnant dirty water, both in rural and urban areas,
account for a large number of deaths caused by potentially fatal
diseases like cholera, malaria, dysentery and typhoid.
Nitrate concentration in water above 45mg/l makes it unfit for
drinking by infants. The nitrates are reduced in body to nitrites and
cause a serious blood condition called the "Blue Baby Syndrome".
Higher concentrations of nitrate causes gastric cancer.
Untreated and highly toxic industrial sewage is also used for
irrigation near major cities. This can contaminate crops and
consequently affect consumers.

• Water pollution and the environment

Karachi'suntreated wastewater from domestic sewage and industrial
estates is discharged into the Layari and Malir rivers, which fall
into the Arabian Sea. This waste has begun to pose a serious threat to
the marine environment, as the channel water is contaminated not only
with bacteria but also with toxic chemicals.
Water pollution also extends a savage threat to wildlife of Pakistan.
Animals drink water out of polluted water bodies, ailing ponds, rivers
and streams. This sickens the animals and some may even die. Oil
spills kill thousands of fish in oceans. Extreme pollution of river
Ravi has destroyed the once existing 42 species of fish and the bird
life around the river has migrated to other areas. Survival of small
invertebrates, micro fauna and flora is also threatened.

What can be done?
• Identify industrial units that are the biggest polluters of river
water. If National Environmental Quality Standards (NEQS) regarding
wastewater were strictly enforced, these industries would have to
reduce and treat their waste prior to disposal.
• A regular qualitative and quantitative monitoring of fresh water
resources
• Construct proper sanitary landfill sites
• Investigate ground water quality
• Provide Government help for waste management by industries
• Throw refuse into garbage cans. Visitors who throw garbage into
pools, lakes, ponds, and even along the beaches pollute recreational
sites on a daily basis. This not only pollutes the water but also mars
the beauty of the site
• Dispose of unwanted paints or oils carefully. They should not be
thrown into drains or sewers
• Participate in awareness raising activities. Students can be a great
help in this regard
• Conserve water at home and at work, rather than wasting it
• Boil or filter drinking water to eliminate disease-causing bacteria
• Conducting epidemiological study in the areas close to contaminated
water bodies will help to assess the affect of polluted water on
health of the consumers.

WWF's Position
WWF has focused its attention on the issues of urban and industrial
pollution. It provides assistance to the industrial sector in reducing
polluted discharges into air, water and soil.
WWF-Pakistan enhances capacity of industrial sector so that they can
implement environmental solutions. In this regard, training workshops
have been organised on the subjects of industrial waste management and
waste minimisation technology.
To promote environmental awareness of water pollution issues, a water
pollution monitoring kit (mobile laboratory) was developed by WWF and
launched in the four provinces of Pakistan. The kit is easy to use and
is fabricated using cost effective material. It is capable of
monitoring 14 pollutants.
For more information on Water Pollution, please visit the following
sites:

www.iwpca.org
www.ec.gc.ca
www.soton.ac.uk
www.life.ca
www.eihs.niehs.nih.gov
www.ssr.com
www.webdirectory.com/pollution/water_pollution
www.cities.poly.edu
www.bpinews.com
www.state.nv.us

Compiled and edited by Environmental Pollution Unit, WWF- Pakistan



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