It may be ironic to some people that the first post at Earthpoems is about an issue as unpoetic as the contaminated water of Lahore. But then who knows what ‘poetic’ is when faced with erosion and decay in one’s city of birth, and so, this issue descends on me like a sad poem of love.
The Institute of Public Health (IPH) reports that faeces is found in about half of the drinking water samples collected from Lahore. Farkhanda Kokab, an Epidemiologist of the IPH, says that some 92 drinking water samples were tested between May 1 and 15, and faeces were found in 43 of them. “The presence of faeces in potable water is very dangerous and alarming. The authorities concerned must take a serious note of it and do the needful” she said.
According to a survey done by the Environment Protection Department (EPD) of the Punjab, a defective sewerage system is causing water contamination by allowing sewage water to mix in with the supply lines of drinking water. As well, it is recommended that the discharge of industrial refuse into the subsoil through holes should be banned to avoid further contamination of ground water.
The (Monitoring) Director of Punjab Environment Protection Department (EPD), Dr Shagufta Shahjahan said that the department had carried out tests on drinking water samples in the Punjab province earlier, and 25 per cent water samples collected from Lahore were found ‘unfit’ for drinking, and that the City District Government and Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) were advised to chlorinate and clean the City’s water supply lines.
Ms. Kokub of the IPH stresses that Lahore’s posh areas are no exception to drinking water contamination. To the citizens of Lahore, she suggests that “the best solution to ensure the cleanliness of drinking water is to boil it”!
An offshoot of this problem is the marked increase in the production and consumption of bottled water. Not only that water is selling almost at the price of milk but that it will soon add to the environmental hazard already clogging the city of Lahore in the form of roadside garbage dumps.
Information provided by Whiz News from Khaleej Times.
What a pity, authorities the playing with the health of common people, this is not a new problem, it had been pointed out for more thatn a decade ago, but still no government is taking it seriously, I do’nt think it will cost more then a billion rupee, even they spent many billions on forien tours and purchasiang of foreing items but they cant’ spent a billion or so on people ’s health with whom hard earned money they rule the country, May God bless pakistani common people.