Rising pollution level in Rawal Lake
Rising pollution level in Rawal Lake
Enough is enough, Pak-EPA tells CDA
By Atif Khan
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Environmental and Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) is planning to take on Capital Development Authority (CDA) for not checking the disposal of thousands of tons of untreated sewage into Rawal Lake – the main source of water supply to Rawalpindi city and cantonment areas.“Tons of hazardous sewage generated by the thickly populated areas like Bhara Kahu, Diplomatic Enclave, Noorpur Shahan and Quaid-i-Azam University is pumped into Rawal Lake, and Bari Imam ‘Urs’ adds to the pollution of the lake,” sources in Pak-EPA told Daily Times. The lake is fed by four major streams and 43 small streams some of which pass through Diplomatic Enclave, Noorpur Shahan, (Bari Imam), and Quaid-i-Azam University. A few years back, the CDA started dumping sewage of these areas into these streams thus adding to the pollution levels.When the environmental watchdog and Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) warned the civic body of rising levels of pollution in the lake, the latter promised to install a sewage treatment plant to treat the waste before its disposal into the lake. The promise is yet to see the light of the day.The sources said that Environment Minister Hameedullah Jan Afridi had recently reprimanded the CDA bosses for failing to install a sewage treatment plant and warned them against their irresponsible attitude towards public health.Pak-EPA Director Ziaul Islam told Daily Times on Thursday that they had been asking the CDA for over three years to treat the sewage before pumping it into the lake but of no avail.He said according to a recent water analysis, the lake contained abnormal proportions of hazardous metals and salts besides bacteria, which may lead to an outbreak of epidemics in the garrison town. Though a filtration plant is already treating lake water, it has outlived its utility due to which dangerous strains of bacteria and other germs find their way into the water lines, Islam said.Islam said that the administrations of Quaid-i-Azam University and Auqaf Department, which is looking after Bari Imam Shrine, had been asked to install sewage treatment plants on their premises and their reply was that they had paid money to the CDA for installation of sewage treatment plants but it was still dragging its heels over the project.He said according to a report on the quality of lake water, over 60 water boats and water scooters were also contributing to pollution by disposing of petrol, diesel and grease into the lake.CDA version: The CDA officials told Daily Times that they had contracted National Engineering Services of Pakistan (NESPAK) for designing the treatment plants, and tenders for the project would be floated after receiving the designs.Requesting anonymity, a senior CDA official feared that the project may not be materialized for another one or two years, as the authority was short of cash.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008\12\19\story_19-12-2008_pg11_1
Enough is enough, Pak-EPA tells CDA
By Atif Khan
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Environmental and Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) is planning to take on Capital Development Authority (CDA) for not checking the disposal of thousands of tons of untreated sewage into Rawal Lake – the main source of water supply to Rawalpindi city and cantonment areas.“Tons of hazardous sewage generated by the thickly populated areas like Bhara Kahu, Diplomatic Enclave, Noorpur Shahan and Quaid-i-Azam University is pumped into Rawal Lake, and Bari Imam ‘Urs’ adds to the pollution of the lake,” sources in Pak-EPA told Daily Times. The lake is fed by four major streams and 43 small streams some of which pass through Diplomatic Enclave, Noorpur Shahan, (Bari Imam), and Quaid-i-Azam University. A few years back, the CDA started dumping sewage of these areas into these streams thus adding to the pollution levels.When the environmental watchdog and Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) warned the civic body of rising levels of pollution in the lake, the latter promised to install a sewage treatment plant to treat the waste before its disposal into the lake. The promise is yet to see the light of the day.The sources said that Environment Minister Hameedullah Jan Afridi had recently reprimanded the CDA bosses for failing to install a sewage treatment plant and warned them against their irresponsible attitude towards public health.Pak-EPA Director Ziaul Islam told Daily Times on Thursday that they had been asking the CDA for over three years to treat the sewage before pumping it into the lake but of no avail.He said according to a recent water analysis, the lake contained abnormal proportions of hazardous metals and salts besides bacteria, which may lead to an outbreak of epidemics in the garrison town. Though a filtration plant is already treating lake water, it has outlived its utility due to which dangerous strains of bacteria and other germs find their way into the water lines, Islam said.Islam said that the administrations of Quaid-i-Azam University and Auqaf Department, which is looking after Bari Imam Shrine, had been asked to install sewage treatment plants on their premises and their reply was that they had paid money to the CDA for installation of sewage treatment plants but it was still dragging its heels over the project.He said according to a report on the quality of lake water, over 60 water boats and water scooters were also contributing to pollution by disposing of petrol, diesel and grease into the lake.CDA version: The CDA officials told Daily Times that they had contracted National Engineering Services of Pakistan (NESPAK) for designing the treatment plants, and tenders for the project would be floated after receiving the designs.Requesting anonymity, a senior CDA official feared that the project may not be materialized for another one or two years, as the authority was short of cash.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008\12\19\story_19-12-2008_pg11_1
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