By Faryal Tariq
More than 69 per cent of water in Lahore is polluted according to the last report of PCRWR ( Pakistan council of research in water resources ).Around 40 % of people in Lahore get water borne disease. Contaminated water is the main reason which causes these diseases.
Contamination is defined as unwanted entry of disease germs into drinking water and edible food. These diseases include cholera , typhoid and dysentery. Punjab health authorities declared a Cholera outbreak in 2022 in which 25 laboratories confirmed 2000 diarrheal cases in May 2022. It also contributes to kidney problems because the contaminated water contains toxins or heavy metals . Hepatitis(A) also affects the liver that is transmitted through the polluted water.
In Lahore, arsenic was found above the limits in all sampling locations. In Lahore , the poor sewage system is one of the main reasons for contaminated water. There is infiltration from sewer leakage , drains etc. WASA provides clean drinking water in different cities of Punjab. There are approximately 1000’s of filtration plants that have been planted by the government and NGOs as well. The water demand in Lahore exceeds its availability because of the rapid urbanization and population growth. The underground sewage system has been damaged badly .The sewage system in Lahore was not properly maintained or designed which causes the leakage, overflow and also allowing untreated waste that mix with the drinking water supply. Draining of animal waste and washing from diaries, poultries etc into water bodies also contaminate water. Draining of industrial waste and agriculture waste that contains poisonous chemicals into water bodies also harm health .
Doctors Said that “ Drinking unhealthy or polluted water cause many disease like Cholera, Hepatitis, Typhoid, kidney issues, Dysentery, Giardiasis, Cryptosporidiosis, E. coli infection, Campylobacteriosis, Legionnaires’ disease, Amoebic dysentery etc , to prevention from these disease it is important to drink clean and healthy water. Approximately 100 million people are affected from water borne diseases all over Pakistan. The International monetary fund (IMF) stated “2.1 million Pakistani individuals are deprived of safe water”.
In 2025, Pakistan could be in a situation of absolute water scarcity, where there is not enough water to meet basic needs, estimated by UNDP (United Nations Development Program ) .The government should try to deal with this situation as soon as possible.
Till then, people need to use boiled or filtered water for a healthy life ”. PAK DESTINY
