Cleaning Sutlej

The way we are recklessly destroying our water resources can be seen in the rivers flowing through our cities where they have turned into open filthy drains with untreated municipal sewage and industrial effluents flowing into them. The massive pollution in River Sutlej is one such example.

A recent study by the Environment Protection Agency (EPA), Punjab has found that the value of sulfide in Sutlej exceeds the National Environment Quality Standards (NEQS) limits after a drain in the Kasur district flows into it and the value of Total Suspended Solids (TSS) exceeds the NEQS limits at Head Islam, which is the river’s entry point into Bahawalpur.

The Sutlej enters Pakistan in Punjab’s Kasur district, but its original water has been sold off to India under the Indus Basin Treaty. Now two irrigation link canals, the Bulloki Sulemanki Link Canal and Pakpattan Islam Link Canal, join the river to augment its flow.

Both link canals carry industrial and municipal wastewater to the river from nearby urban and industrial areas including the Kasur and Pakpattan districts. The effect of pollution of municipal and industrial discharges in the river becomes hazardous in certain reaches resulting in the depletion of dissolved oxygen which is necessary for fish life.

In addition to disposal points marked as pumping stations, wastewater-carrying drains discharge effluents into the river randomly. The Pandoki drain in the Kasur district, with an average discharge of 86.95 cusecs, is the main continuous source of the Sutlej’s pollution.

The Pandoki drain comes from Raiwind and carries the municipal and industrial waste of Raiwind and Kasur cities including wastewater from the treatment plants of Kasur tanneries. According to the estimates of the Environment Protection Agency (EPA), Punjab this drain is responsible for adding an organic load of at least 20.3 tonnes per day in the river.

The drain’s high level of pollution can be gauged from a recent EPA study that shows that the values of Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Total Suspended Solids (TSS), sulfide and cyanide exceed the NEQS limits at the Pandoki drain, before it joins the Sutlej near Moza Sheikh Hammad in the Kasur district.

The industrial effluents contain pollutants including dissolved and suspended organic matter, heavy metals and other toxic chemicals. The discharge of industrial effluents in the river results in the depletion of oxygen resources. Harmful industrial chemicals have the potential to pose serious health problems and can result negatively impact downstream agriculture.

Municipal wastewater from Bahawalnagar, Okara, Bahawalpur and Vehari districts also end up in the Sutlej. The disposal of untreated sewage laden with heavy organic load adds to the deoxygenation of the river water. In addition, municipal wastewaters contain pathogenic organisms that contaminate the river water which is used as a source of drinking water downstream.

As these districts are mostly agricultural, fertilisers and pesticides are used there excessively; these are then added to surface and groundwater pollution. In particular, during rainfall the surface overflows reach the river – carrying large quantities of the two pollutants.

Discharge of excessive quantities of fertilisers may give rise to eutrophication in the receiving water bodies whereas fish may accumulate excess concentrations of heavy metals and thereby affect consumers’ health. Certain heavy metals may also badly harm aquatic life.

The population of the concerned districts along the Sutlej is increasing day by day due to which water consumption is also increasing; it is also resulting in more sewage production. The government needs to install sewage treatment plants in these areas in order to save the river from pollution. Moreover, industries should also be strictly bound to have an environment impact assessment examination.

Increasing pollution of rivers should be a matter of great concern, but unfortunately the issue stands neglected. This year, the federal government has spent Rs440 million to renovate and decorate the government house in Murree, but installing a treatment plant for municipal wastewater is considered an expensive project.

In our country, river water is not only a main source of irrigation but is used for drinking purposes as well by a large number of people living in the countryside. The river water also seeps into the underground water which is pumped out for human consumption. Thus, the consequences of river water’s contamination are grave for both agriculture as well as human health.

So far no systematic studies have been undertaken to assess the levels of pollution and to figure out future trends. Environment Protection Agencies (EPAs) in all the four provinces need to regularly monitor rivers in their respective areas and make the relevant authorities take pollution-mitigating measures.

Email: adnanadilzaidi@gmail.com