Pakistan's Water Warriors: Strategies To Combat Pollution

Water pollution is a major threat to public health in Pakistan, with drinking water quality poorly managed and monitored. Water pollution is mainly caused by the heavy utilisation of water for domestic, agricultural, and industrial purposes. Waterborne diseases in drinking water are caused by the addition of municipal sewage and industrial wastewater at different points of the water distribution network, as well as a lack of water disinfection and water quality monitoring at treatment plants. Water-related diseases represent 40% of the communicable diseases in Pakistan. The government is installing drinking water filters all over Pakistan, and small dams are being prioritised in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to conserve aquatic biodiversity and other animals.

Drinking water quality is poorly managed and monitored

Water pollution is a major threat to public health in Pakistan. Drinking water quality is poorly managed and monitored and drinking water sources, both surface and groundwater, are contaminated with coliforms, toxic metals and pesticides throughout the country. Various drinking water quality parameters set by WHO are frequently violated. Human activities like improper disposal of municipal and industrial effluents and indiscriminate applications of agrochemicals in agriculture are the main factors contributing to the deterioration of water quality. Microbial and chemical pollutants are the main factors responsible exclusively or in combination for various public health problems.

Water pollution is mainly caused by heavy utilization of water for domestic, agricultural, and industrial purposes. In Pakistan, the main reasons for waterborne diseases in drinking water are the addition of municipal sewage and industrial wastewater at different points of the water distribution network as well as a lack of water disinfection and water quality monitoring at treatment plants. Water-related diseases represent 40% of the communicable diseases according to the Pakistan National Conservation Strategy.

Sewerage water (fecal) mixing with drinking water is the dominant and primary contaminant due to the poor sanitation and sewerage system. Chemical pollution from toxic substances from the industrial effluents, textile dyes, pesticides, nitrogenous fertilizers, arsenic, and other chemicals is the second source of contamination. There is a need to maintain and upgrade regular inspection of already present treatment plants.

The issue of water pollution falls under Pakistan Environmental Protection Act (1997). Section 11 of PEPA, (1997) describes that no one shall have the right to discharge the effluents or release any waste and pollutant that exceeds the national Environmental quality standards. If a person does not comply with the national environmental quality standards, the federal government will impose pollution charges on a person. At the provincial level, The Punjab Environment Protection (Amendment) Act (2012), Balochistan Environmental Protection Act (2012), KPK Environmental Protection Act (2014), and Sindh Environmental Protection Act (2014) prohibit the discharge of domestic or industrial effluents above provincial environmental quality standards.

The Government of Pakistan is going to install drinking water filters all over Pakistan. Building dams: Both large- and small-scale dams are needed, but every effort must be made to minimize their social and ecological cost in terms of population displacement and shock to the existing ecosystem. Small dams having minimal environmental and social cost should be prioritized whose waters can be used for drinking, agriculture, electricity, and fisheries.

Water pollution is caused by heavy domestic, agricultural and industrial use

Water pollution in Pakistan is caused by heavy domestic, agricultural and industrial use. Drinking water quality is poorly managed and monitored, and drinking water sources, both surface and groundwater, are contaminated with coliforms, toxic metals and pesticides throughout the country. Human activities like improper disposal of municipal and industrial effluents and indiscriminate applications of agrochemicals in agriculture are the main factors contributing to the deterioration of water quality. Water-related diseases represent 40% of the communicable diseases, and sewerage water (fecal) mixing with drinking water is the dominant and primary contaminant due to the poor sanitation and sewerage system.

The main reasons for waterborne diseases in drinking water are the addition of municipal sewage and industrial wastewater at different points of the water distribution network as well as the lack of water disinfection and water quality monitoring at treatment plants. Water pollution is one of the major threats to public health in Pakistan, and Pakistan ranks at number 80 among 122 nations regarding drinking water quality.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) states that the issue of water pollution falls under Pakistan Environmental Protection Act (PEPA) (1997). Section 11 of PEPA describes that no one shall have the right to discharge effluents or release any waste and pollutants that exceed the national environmental quality standards. If a person does not comply with the national environmental quality standards, the federal government will impose pollution charges on that person. At the provincial level, The Punjab Environment Protection (Amendment) Act, Balochistan Environmental Protection Act, KPK Environmental Protection Act, and Sindh Environmental Protection Act prohibit the discharge of domestic or industrial effluents above provincial environmental quality standards.

The Government of Pakistan is going to install drinking water filters all over Pakistan. Building dams is also a solution, and small dams having minimal environmental and social cost should be prioritized whose waters can be used for drinking, agriculture, electricity, and fisheries. This will also help in the conservation of aquatic biodiversity and other animals, especially during seasonal migration.

Waterborne diseases are caused by municipal sewage and industrial wastewater

Water pollution is a major threat to public health in Pakistan. Drinking water quality is poorly managed and monitored, and drinking water sources, both surface and groundwater, are contaminated with coliforms, toxic metals and pesticides throughout the country. Various drinking water quality parameters set by WHO are frequently violated. Human activities like improper disposal of municipal and industrial effluents and indiscriminate applications of agrochemicals in agriculture are the main factors contributing to the deterioration of water quality. Microbial and chemical pollutants are the main factors responsible exclusively or in combination for various public health problems.

The main reasons of waterborne diseases in drinking water are the addition of municipal sewage and industrial wastewater at different points of the water distribution network as well as a lack of water disinfection and water quality monitoring at treatment plants. Water pollution is mainly caused by heavy utilization of water for domestic, agricultural, and industrial purposes. Sewerage water (fecal) mixing with drinking water is a dominant and primary contaminant due to the poor sanitation and sewerage system. Chemical pollution from toxic substances from the industrial effluents, textile dyes, pesticides, nitrogenous fertilizers, arsenic, and other chemicals is the second source of contamination.

The Punjab Environment Protection (Amendment) Act (2012), Balochistan Environmental Protection Act (2012), KPK Environmental Protection Act (2014), and Sindh Environmental Protection Act (2014) prohibit the discharge of domestic or industrial effluents above provincial environmental quality standards. Section 11 of PEPA, (1997) describes that no one shall have the right to discharge the effluents or release any waste and pollutant that exceeds the national Environmental quality standards. If a person does not comply with the national environmental quality standards, the federal government will impose pollution charges on a person.

The Pakistan National Conservation Strategy reported that water-related diseases represent 40% of the communicable diseases. Water pollution falls under Pakistan Environmental Protection Act (1997). The government is going to install drinking water filters all over Pakistan. Building dams is also an option, but every effort must be made to minimize their social and ecological cost in terms of population displacement and shock to the existing ecosystem.

Water pollution is a major threat to public health

Water pollution is mainly caused by heavy utilization of water for domestic, agricultural, and industrial purposes. In Pakistan, the main reasons for waterborne diseases in drinking water are the addition of municipal sewage and industrial wastewater at different points of the water distribution network as well as a lack of water disinfection and water quality monitoring at treatment plants. Water-related diseases represent 40% of the communicable diseases, according to the Pakistan National Conservation Strategy.

Sewerage water (fecal) mixing with drinking water is the dominant and primary contaminant due to the poor sanitation and sewerage system. Chemical pollution from toxic substances from the industrial effluents, textile dyes, pesticides, nitrogenous fertilizers, arsenic, and other chemicals is the second source of contamination. There is a need to maintain and upgrade regular inspection of already present treatment plants.

The Government of Pakistan is going to install drinking water filters all over Pakistan. Building dams, both large- and small-scale, is also needed, but every effort must be made to minimize their social and ecological cost in terms of population displacement and shock to the existing ecosystem. Small dams having minimal environmental and social cost should be prioritized whose waters can be used for drinking, agriculture, electricity, and fisheries.

Section 11 of the Pakistan Environmental Protection Act (PEPA) (1997) describes that no one shall have the right to discharge effluents or release any waste and pollutants that exceed the national environmental quality standards. If a person does not comply with the national environmental quality standards, the federal government will impose pollution charges on that person. At the provincial level, the Punjab Environment Protection (Amendment) Act (2012), Balochistan Environmental Protection Act (2012), KPK Environmental Protection Act (2014), and Sindh Environmental Protection Act (2014) prohibit the discharge of domestic or industrial effluents above provincial environmental quality standards.

Water pollution is regulated by the Pakistan Environmental Protection Act

Water pollution is a major threat to public health in Pakistan. Drinking water quality is poorly managed and monitored, and drinking water sources, both surface and groundwater, are contaminated with coliforms, toxic metals and pesticides throughout the country. Various drinking water quality parameters set by WHO are frequently violated. Human activities like improper disposal of municipal and industrial effluents and indiscriminate applications of agrochemicals in agriculture are the main factors contributing to the deterioration of water quality. Microbial and chemical pollutants are the main factors responsible exclusively or in combination for various public health problems.

The main reasons for waterborne diseases in drinking water are the addition of municipal sewage and industrial wastewater at different points of the water distribution network as well as a lack of water disinfection and water quality monitoring at treatment plants. Water-related diseases represent 40% of the communicable diseases in Pakistan.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) states that the issue of water pollution falls under the Pakistan Environmental Protection Act (PEPA). Section 11 of PEPA describes that no one shall have the right to discharge effluents or release any waste and pollutants that exceed the national environmental quality standards. If a person does not comply with the national environmental quality standards, the federal government will impose pollution charges on that person.

At the provincial level, The Punjab Environment Protection (Amendment) Act, Balochistan Environmental Protection Act, KPK Environmental Protection Act, and Sindh Environmental Protection Act prohibit the discharge of domestic or industrial effluents above provincial environmental quality standards.

The Government of Pakistan is going to install drinking water filters all over Pakistan. Building dams is also being considered, but every effort must be made to minimize their social and ecological cost in terms of population displacement and shock to the existing ecosystem.

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