Don’t pollute: Industrial waste in Shujabad canal endangers human, aquatic life

MULTAN, March 10th: Farmers and other affectees of Muzaffarabad, Shershah,Shujabad and adjacent areas on Saturday staged a demonstration in front of Multan Press Club under the leadership of Makhddom Shershah .Participants were carrying placards and banners inscribed with their demands like," Stop discharge of toxic water into canals/river," Let the animals live," Our Children are dying due to polluted water," Makhdoom Shersh told media men that Huge discharge of untreated domestic and industrial waste has turned rivers and canals in Punjab into a dumping pit, causing serious health and environmental hazards. He said that Multan  is considered the second biggest industrial city of Punjab after Faisalabad. It consists of hundreds of factories that are creating both environmental and water pollution. These industries include textile, chemical, food processing, pulp and paper, poultry, dairy, plastic, paint, pesticides, leather, tanneries and pharmaceuticals. He said thart residents of Muzaffarabad ,Shershah, Ambala, one of the most populated areas of the city, are facing a dilemma. The canal water, which is supplied to land for irrigation purpose , is infected with industrial waste and toxins. Presence of toxic heavy metals in irrigation and canal water is causing serious damage to animal life in surrounding areas. Besides, use of contaminated water for agricultural purposes and its consumption is causing people to get waterborne diseases that is putting huge burden on healthcare infrastructure.The  municipal waste from western parts of the city and Industrial estate is collected through a network of drains and discharged into the rivers and canals without any treatment, increasing pollution level with every passing day.He revealed various studies, high metal contents and arsenic level has been found in the pumped groundwater that coupled with contamination of sewerage has put the health of the masses at a greater risk of getting diseases.As per a study recently carried out by WWF-Pakistan, the concentration of arsenic is much higher than the WHO standards at shallow water table depths of up to 30 metre. The main anthropogenic source of arsenic is air pollutants derived from factories and fertilisers.
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