Lahore: 20 localities getting contaminated water

[Naveed Yaseen]

By Babar Dogar
THE Environment Protection Agency has said the water supplied by the Wasa to 20 localities of Lahore is highly contaminated and unfit for drinking as might cause gastro and other water-born diseases.

The EPA officials collected 27 samples of tap water from different parts of Lahore and sent them to its laboratory for examination.

The laboratory tests revealed the water being supplied to Lahorities was below the World Health Organisation guidelines and unfit for human consumption.

The Environment Protection Agency, in its report, has declared 20 out of total 27 samples randomly collected samples unfit for drinking.

The report adds, the water supplied by Wasa to various parts of Lahore has massive presence of residuals of coliform which, if found in a water supply, indicates human waste, animal waste, surface water, or other sources of contamination.

The Environment Protection Agency officials say the presence of coliform in water reflects the groundwater is being affected by surface water which could cause contagious diseases such as gastro, typhoid fever, cholera, hepatitis, dysentery, diarrhea and giardiasis etc.

After receiving results from its laboratory, the Environment Protection Agency dispatched a letter titled ‘Contamination of Drinking Water in Lahore’ to the Housing Secretary, the Wasa managing director, the Lahore Development Authority director general and the Lahore DCO on Wednesday, cautioning them about the contamination of most of the water samples.

The letter urged the water supplying agencies to take immediate measures to minimize chances of outbreak of water related diseases.

It also urged the agencies to use regular chlorination/disinfection of drinking water being supplied to the consumers in order to maintain residual chlorine in the water supply system, launch an awareness campaign to guide citizens to use boiled water to avoid health damages, particularly in the monsoon season, and guide the consumers to arrange proper cleaning and disinfection of overhead/underground tanks within their premises.

The Environment Protection Agency report says the water declared unfit for drinking has far less contents of Chloride and Fluoride while Coliform accompanying bacteria causing diseases are phenomenally high against the WHO guidelines.

According to the report, the water sample collected from Street Number 9, House No 2, Main Bazar Gunj, Mughalpura contains 13 ml Cliform against zero ml of World Health Organisation guideline, 35 mg Choloride against World Health Organisation guideline of 250 mg and 0.084 mg Fluoride against 1.5 mg of World Health Organisation guideline and is unfit for drinking.

Likewise, water samples collected from Sheikh Haroon Sadiq, House No 91-C Angori Bagh Scheme No 1, Baghbanpura, were also declared unfit as they were contaminated with Coliform bacteria, Muhammad Bashir H No 56 St No 4 Muhammad Pura JataSaher Road Baghban Pura Lahore unfit as contaminated with Coliform bacteria, Zulifqar Ali H No 5 St No 12 Mian Bazar Sultan Pura Ghoray Shah Road Lahore unfit as contaminated with Coliform becteria, Muhammad Sadiq Butt H No 12, Street No FS-46 Hassan park Ghorey Shah Road Lahore unfit as contamoinated with Coliform bacteria. The other localities having unfit and contaminated water with coliform bacteria include Muhammad Azam H No 7 Khalid Street Chah Meeran Road Kot Khawaja Saeed Lahore, Niaz Ali H No 12 Mohallah Jani Shah Chah Meeran Lahore, Haji Muhammad H No 13 Street No 22 Chah Meeran Lahore, Shaukat Ali Shaikh H No 25 St No 14 Rajput Road Wassan Pura Lahore, Muhammad Arslan H No 4 St No 1 Taj Pura Mian Bazar Shadbagh Lahore, Sheikh Muhammad Saleem H No 14-B St

No 81 Ghazi Park New Shad Bagh Lahore, Haji Obaid Ullah H No 8 X Block Scheme No 2 Islampura Makhan Pura Lahore, Abdul Sami H No 81 St No 90 Ghazi Park New Shad Bagh Lahore, Fine College and School 61 Ayub Road New Shad Bagh Lahore, Muhammad Alla-ud-Din H No 194 Javed Park Shadbagh Lahore, Muhammad Farooq H No 8 Malik Park Tariq Shaheed Road Lahore, Shaikh Fazal Hayat Shah Din Park Shad Bagh Lahore, Jamia Masjid Samanzar Colony Link Band Road Badami Bagh Lahore, Gourmet Backers near Ist Gool Chakar Samanabad Lahore and Jamia Masjid 3323 B- Block Samanabad Lahore.

When contacted, Director General EPA Miss Shaughafta said they were collecting more samples of water from Lahore to send to their lab. She said they had already conveyed directions to their district officials to start collecting water samples and get them tested from their labs.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=124746