Source : http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=225135
Saturday, February 20, 2010
By Ali Raza
LAHORE
The Punjab government has constituted a committee for an action plan for saving aquatic life in the River Ravi, which is facing serious threats due to decreased oxygen levels and turned into an open drain.
The Lahore division commissioner heads the committee which comprises provincial secretaries of Environment, Housing, Irrigation and Industries departments, the Wasa managing director, Professor Wazir Ali of UET and Hammad Naqi of WWF-Pakistan.
The committee was formed on the directions of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, officials said, adding that the main task given to the committee was to analyse all technical and environmental studies on the Ravi. Officials said the committee was directed to finalise its recommendations in six weeks. Sources said the first meeting of the committee was held on Thursday in which the Environment Secretary gave a detailed briefing on the deteriorating Ravi. He said oxygen level required for aquatic life had alarmingly reduced in the river endangering native fish species besides posing a grave threat to underground water.
The briefing revealed that about 10 drains and pumping stations and five industrial wastewater drains were throwing over 2,000 cusec municipal sewage and toxic industrial effluents into the river.
It revealed that according to international standards, the level of biological official demand (BOD) in the river water should be 80 mg/l whereas the level of BOD in the water of 10 drains and pumping stations ranged between 129 mg/l and 430 mg/l. Likewise, BOD in the water of five drains throwing toxic industrial waste into the river ranged between 24 mg/l and 360 mg/l.
The Ravi enters Pakistan at Kot Nainan and joins the Chenab at Sardarpur, Khanewal, which is some 422 miles. In winter, average water discharge of the river is around 0.54 maf and in summer it is around 0.94 maf. During last years, it has been turned into a dumping ground for municipal as well as industrial sewage, resulting in an end to several native fish species besides posing a serious threat to the remaining aquatic life and underground water level.
The drains throwing municipal waste are Mehmood Booti drain (1 cusecs in which BOD level is 250 mg/l), Sukh Naher (80 cusecs in which BOD level is 120 mg/l), Shadbagh drain (200 cusecs in which BOD level is 192 mg/l), Shahdara Town pumping station (35 cusecs in which BOD level is 140 mg/l), Forest Colony pumping station (25 cusecs in which BOD level is 200 mg/l), Furakhabad drain (40 cusecs in which BOD level is 382 mg/l), Budha Ravi (56 cusecs in which BOD level is 430 mg/l), Main Outfall drain (102 cusecs in which BOD level is 412 mg/l), Gulshan-e-Ravi drain (89 cusecs in which BOD level is 395 mg/l) and Babu Sabu drain (72 cusecs in which BOD level is 312 mg/l).
The drains releasing toxic waste water in the Ravi are Hudiyara drain (512 cusecs in which BOD level is 120 mg/l), Deg Nullah, Faisalabad (100 cusecs in which BOD level is 360 mg/l), Samundry drain, Faisalabad (400 cusecs in which BOD level is 66 mg/l), Sukhrawa drain, Sahiwal (53 cusecs in which BOD level is 36 mg/l) and Gojra drain, TT Singh (45 cusecs in which BOD level is 24 mg/l).
Besides the drains, five irrigation canals also release water into the Ravi. The canals are Marala Ravi Link Canal (BOD level is 3.6mg/l), Upper Chenab Canal (5,570 cusecs in which BOD level is 168 mg/l), QB Link Canal (14,500 cusecs in which BOD level is 2.4 mg/l), Trimu Sidhnai Link Canal (2,000 cusecs in which BOD level is 6.8 mg/l) and Haveli Main Line Canal (3,600 cusecs in which BOD level is 3.4 mg/l). It was pointed out in the meeting that in Lahore, Main Outfall and Shadbagh drains are the most polluted and throwing municipal waste into the river while Hudiyara drain is diposing industrial waste.
EPD sources said near the new bridge in Lahore, oxygen level in the river is too low to support aquatic life and in Sharakpur and More Khunda, dissolved oxygen level depleted significantly rendering it unfit for aquatic life. They said the department had already filed a complaint in the Environmental Protection Tribunal (EPT), Lahore, against Wasa for discharging untreated sewage into the river, causing water pollution. The Wasa had submitted an undertaking in the court to set up wastewater/sewage treatment plants for which they have acquired land and PC-1 has been forwarded to the P&D Department for approval.
A senior official of LDA said the authority had also proposed six sewage treatment plants in the Lahore Master Plan for which funding is being awaited. The treatment plants included Mian Mir drain (Rs 4,116 million), Hadiyara drain (Rs 2,058 million), Shadbagh drain (Rs 2,744 million), Suckh Nahar (Rs 2,766 million), Sattokatla drain (Rs 1,070 million) and Farukhabad drain, Shahdara (Rs 1,194 million).
An EPD spokesman said the committee had started its work and under the directions of the Lahore commissioner, SWM staff removed all solid waste from the unofficial landfill site at the Sagian bridge. ìThe Industries Secretary has said the department will be installing two combined waste water treatment plants at the Sundar Industrial Estate and Kot Lakhpat Industrial Estate in weeks,î he added.
On the other hand, environmentalists expressed concern over diposal of sewage into the river. They said the committee made by the government should also identify industrial units which were the biggest polluters of the river. They said a regular qualitative and quantitative monitoring of fresh water resources should be planned besides construction of scientific landfill sites.
By Ali Raza
LAHORE
The Punjab government has constituted a committee for an action plan for saving aquatic life in the River Ravi, which is facing serious threats due to decreased oxygen levels and turned into an open drain.
The Lahore division commissioner heads the committee which comprises provincial secretaries of Environment, Housing, Irrigation and Industries departments, the Wasa managing director, Professor Wazir Ali of UET and Hammad Naqi of WWF-Pakistan.
The committee was formed on the directions of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, officials said, adding that the main task given to the committee was to analyse all technical and environmental studies on the Ravi. Officials said the committee was directed to finalise its recommendations in six weeks. Sources said the first meeting of the committee was held on Thursday in which the Environment Secretary gave a detailed briefing on the deteriorating Ravi. He said oxygen level required for aquatic life had alarmingly reduced in the river endangering native fish species besides posing a grave threat to underground water.
The briefing revealed that about 10 drains and pumping stations and five industrial wastewater drains were throwing over 2,000 cusec municipal sewage and toxic industrial effluents into the river.
It revealed that according to international standards, the level of biological official demand (BOD) in the river water should be 80 mg/l whereas the level of BOD in the water of 10 drains and pumping stations ranged between 129 mg/l and 430 mg/l. Likewise, BOD in the water of five drains throwing toxic industrial waste into the river ranged between 24 mg/l and 360 mg/l.
The Ravi enters Pakistan at Kot Nainan and joins the Chenab at Sardarpur, Khanewal, which is some 422 miles. In winter, average water discharge of the river is around 0.54 maf and in summer it is around 0.94 maf. During last years, it has been turned into a dumping ground for municipal as well as industrial sewage, resulting in an end to several native fish species besides posing a serious threat to the remaining aquatic life and underground water level.
The drains throwing municipal waste are Mehmood Booti drain (1 cusecs in which BOD level is 250 mg/l), Sukh Naher (80 cusecs in which BOD level is 120 mg/l), Shadbagh drain (200 cusecs in which BOD level is 192 mg/l), Shahdara Town pumping station (35 cusecs in which BOD level is 140 mg/l), Forest Colony pumping station (25 cusecs in which BOD level is 200 mg/l), Furakhabad drain (40 cusecs in which BOD level is 382 mg/l), Budha Ravi (56 cusecs in which BOD level is 430 mg/l), Main Outfall drain (102 cusecs in which BOD level is 412 mg/l), Gulshan-e-Ravi drain (89 cusecs in which BOD level is 395 mg/l) and Babu Sabu drain (72 cusecs in which BOD level is 312 mg/l).
The drains releasing toxic waste water in the Ravi are Hudiyara drain (512 cusecs in which BOD level is 120 mg/l), Deg Nullah, Faisalabad (100 cusecs in which BOD level is 360 mg/l), Samundry drain, Faisalabad (400 cusecs in which BOD level is 66 mg/l), Sukhrawa drain, Sahiwal (53 cusecs in which BOD level is 36 mg/l) and Gojra drain, TT Singh (45 cusecs in which BOD level is 24 mg/l).
Besides the drains, five irrigation canals also release water into the Ravi. The canals are Marala Ravi Link Canal (BOD level is 3.6mg/l), Upper Chenab Canal (5,570 cusecs in which BOD level is 168 mg/l), QB Link Canal (14,500 cusecs in which BOD level is 2.4 mg/l), Trimu Sidhnai Link Canal (2,000 cusecs in which BOD level is 6.8 mg/l) and Haveli Main Line Canal (3,600 cusecs in which BOD level is 3.4 mg/l). It was pointed out in the meeting that in Lahore, Main Outfall and Shadbagh drains are the most polluted and throwing municipal waste into the river while Hudiyara drain is diposing industrial waste.
EPD sources said near the new bridge in Lahore, oxygen level in the river is too low to support aquatic life and in Sharakpur and More Khunda, dissolved oxygen level depleted significantly rendering it unfit for aquatic life. They said the department had already filed a complaint in the Environmental Protection Tribunal (EPT), Lahore, against Wasa for discharging untreated sewage into the river, causing water pollution. The Wasa had submitted an undertaking in the court to set up wastewater/sewage treatment plants for which they have acquired land and PC-1 has been forwarded to the P&D Department for approval.
A senior official of LDA said the authority had also proposed six sewage treatment plants in the Lahore Master Plan for which funding is being awaited. The treatment plants included Mian Mir drain (Rs 4,116 million), Hadiyara drain (Rs 2,058 million), Shadbagh drain (Rs 2,744 million), Suckh Nahar (Rs 2,766 million), Sattokatla drain (Rs 1,070 million) and Farukhabad drain, Shahdara (Rs 1,194 million).
An EPD spokesman said the committee had started its work and under the directions of the Lahore commissioner, SWM staff removed all solid waste from the unofficial landfill site at the Sagian bridge. ìThe Industries Secretary has said the department will be installing two combined waste water treatment plants at the Sundar Industrial Estate and Kot Lakhpat Industrial Estate in weeks,î he added.
On the other hand, environmentalists expressed concern over diposal of sewage into the river. They said the committee made by the government should also identify industrial units which were the biggest polluters of the river. They said a regular qualitative and quantitative monitoring of fresh water resources should be planned besides construction of scientific landfill sites.
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