ARTICLE: 04

Water pollution a health hazard

POLLUTION has been on the rise. One of the major pollution issues is water pollution.
RABIA GHAFFAR TUESDAY 02 OCTOBER 2012

Drinking water supply lines and open sewage drains in the streets are laid side by side. As a result, water is frequently contaminated when pipes erode. Poor connections combined with deteriorating low quality sewer pipes cause a lot of leakage. This outflow from sewer mixes with the water table and the contamination is carried to deeper levels. The oil spill incident has increased the amount of pollution in the sea as well as has caused most of the beaches to be polluted. It is said that the oil spill disaster from Tasman Spirit has killed hundreds and thousands of fishes as well as destroyed much of the marine life. It has also caused eye infections and respiratory problems to those living near the sea. Industrial wastewater contains toxic chemicals. It is alarming that most industries have been started without proper planning and waste treatment plants. They just dispose of untreated toxic waste into nearby drains, canals or rivers. Lahore, Faisalabad, Karachi, Sialkot contribute major pollution loads into their water bodies. The factory waste should be first filtered and then disposed of properly into the sea or the river. If this is not done, then the government should take legal action against them.