Environment

Water crisis in the offing

2011-04-21T00:51:00.000-07:00

By Ali Raza
LAHORE: The underground water level in the provincial capital, which has already dropped to over 700 feet, is going down by the ratio of around 3 feet per year, posing a serious threat to the availability of clean drinking water to the residents in near future.
Sources in the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) revealed that, presently, clean drinking water was being pumped out from 700 to 800 feet, whereas, the level of shallow water had also declined to 90 to 150 feet. They said, following the situation, the WASA had asked several government departments and private enterprises to start using shallow water for their day-to-day requirement, instead of wasting clean drinking water for fire-fighting, washing clothes, vehicles, homes and lawns and industrial use.
The sources said the Agency’s own studies showed that, presently, water table in Lahore was declining by around 3 feet per year while, from 1995 to 2001, the ratio was 2.20 feet per year, 1990 to 1995 it was 2.10, from 1986 to 1990 it was 2.90, 1980 to 1986 it was 1.27 and from 1976 to 1980 the ratio was one foot per year.
Shallow water below ground surface was available at 12.6 foot (minimum) and 53.4 foot (maximum) in 1976, a senior WASA official said, adding, at present, the level had dropped to about 90 feet (minimum) and 150 feet (maximum) in various localities. The depth of water below the surface of ground varies from one area to the others. It is about 60 to 70 feet in the Walled City, 80 to 210 feet in Mozang and Southern areas of the city and 90 to 150 feet in the areas along river Ravi.
WASA’s record showed that, in 1923, the WASA tube wells were pumping out clean drinking water from 250 to 290 feet, in 1984-85, the level of clean drinking water went down to 350 feet while, presently, WASA’s tube-wells are sucking water from 500 to 800 foot deep in the ground.
As the city’s water supply system was totally dependent on ground water, the WASA and other government departments such as Pakistan Railways, Lahore Cantonment Board, Cooperative Housing Society Model Town, Defense Housing Society and several semi-government and private housing schemes were abstracting water through tube-wells in their respective areas.
He said, at present, about 450 tube-wells of the WASA and around 500 tube wells of private housing schemes, cantonment board, the DHA, Model Town and other areas were pumping out water from the underground aquifer.
There were 30 tube wells, controlled by the WASA, in the area in 1967. The figure rose to 75 in 1975. Presently, WASA has over 450 tube-wells. The WASA is producing over 500 million gallon water per day (mgd) as compared to 75 mgd in 1975 and 27 mgd 1967. With 80 gallons per capita supply of portable water a day, the WASA serves over 5 million population of the city.
The major threat to underground water reservoirs was rapidly reducing rainfall and absence of water in the river Ravi for the last many years. Lahore is spread over an area of around 800 sq km. As the city land is generally flat, the river Ravi has been a main source of aquifer discharge. The low rainfall and rapid urbanization, which eliminated majority of the waste water ponds in the provincial metropolis, have adversely affected the underground water resources. The WASA’s spokesman said that unnecessary use of clean drinking water had multiplied the problems. He admitted the WASA had wrote letters to different departments,
like Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA), Fire Fighting department, Pakistan Railways, etc, to use shallow water for their needs.
He said people were using good quality water for ordinary purposes. The water was being wasted to irrigate gardens, washing cars and cleaning floors in the houses. The public stand posts, provided by the WASA and other departments at public places, were being misused as the water continues to flow from the taps most of the time. Even drinking quality water is being used to irrigate big gardens such as Bagh-e-Jinnah, Nasir Bagh and Model Town Park, he maintained.
There is an urgent need to educate people about the importance of drinking water, he said, adding people should know that only sustainable use of water could provide a guarantee that drinking water was available for their future generations.

Published in Daily The News on Thursday, March 18, 2010.

Mechanical sweepers polluting Ravi

2011-04-21T00:49:00.000-07:00

By Ali Raza
LAHORE: Instead of controlling dust pollution, mechanical sweepers of the Solid Waste Management (SWM) department of City District Government Lahore (CDGL) are spreading dust.
The SWM, owns two big vacuum sweepers, 33 trolley sweepers and two small mechanical sweepers. The SWM uses these sweepers in various city localities to clean roads and most of these vehicles are brought on roads early in the morning or late at night.
Interestingly, the two big vacuum sweepers were designated for big city roads like The Mall and Bund Road while remaining sweepers were used on medium and small roads. The SWM officials said according to the policy the sweepers could only collect dust from roads at night or early in the morning and then dispose it of in the street containers or at the dumping sites of the SWM.
Sources said the SWM authorities were operating the sweepers in two shifts i.e. day and night. They claimed that majority of the sweepers did not follow the policy of disposing of dust in street containers or at the dumping sites. They claimed that majority of the drivers of mechanical sweepers disposed of dust in empty plots or in the open sewers and drainage system of Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA).
The sources said several complaints regarding the issue had already been filed before the SWM authorities but so far no action had been taken against any of the driver or the officials incharge of the operation of mechanical sweepers.
They said the two big vacuum sweepers, VS-1 and VS-II by SWM, used to dispose of dust at the dumping sites only but, practically, they dispose of collected dust at open places, near street containers and in the Ravi river.
On Wednesday, The News photographer got shots of one of the vacuum sweepers when it was disposing of dust into the river Ravi from Sagian Bridge. The vehicle with labelled as VS-I was standing in middle of the bridge and throwing dust into the river besides creating clouds of dust on the bridge causing difficulties for the passers-by.
The city is already facing heavy industrial pollution, especially steel related, which are using used tyers and sub-standard rubber products to keep their machines alive and release pollutants like carbon monoxide, sulphur oxides and toxic metals, the major source of air pollution in the provincial capital without any control and check.
Environmental experts said that Particulate Matter (PM), which is commonly known as Dust is very dangerous for human health. They said the air pollutants restrict photosynthesis, increase respiratory infections, birth defects, acid rains, and lung damage. They further said that lead and cadmium were also present in the fumes released by steel industry that caused collapse of central nervous system and degeneration of joints, lung and kidney diseases respectively.
Arif, incharge of the said vehicle, admitted that throwing collected dust in the river Ravi was an illegal act. He said the vacuum sweepers were very big in size so they could not dispose of dust in street containers so he directed the drivers to dispose of dust near street containers, which was lifted in the morning. He also admitted that these vehicles were brought on roads in two shifts.
Mudassar Waheed, District Officer SWM, said the department had passed strict directions to the drivers of mechanical sweepers to dispose of dust in containers or at dumping sites only. He said no other option was given to them and in case of complaint strict action would be taken against the driver.

Published in Daily The News on Thursday, October 15, 2009.

Industrialisation, mounting pollution threaten Lahore

2011-04-21T00:46:00.000-07:00

By Ali Raza
LAHORE: Rapidly increasing industrialization and commercialisation has turned the provincial metropolis -- once known as the City of Gardens -- into one of the most polluted cities in the country.
Even residential localities are not safe from increasing trends of commercialization and industrialization because many industrial zones, which were established some years ago outside the city, are now situated right in middle of the City.
Light and heavy industrial units have been established in various city localities i.e. Misri Shah, Baghbanpura, Mughalpura, Daroghewala, Bhagat Pura, Chah Miran, Shadbagh and other localities along the Bund Road and GT Road. These industries include steel foundries, steel re-rolling mills, kilns, steel furnaces, scrap yards, plastic recycling industry, marble grinding, furniture making and several other kinds of cottage industries. All of these industries are spreading different types of pollutions especially air, noise, vibration and heat.
According to a rough estimate, over 700 industrial units including a major chunk of steel-related industries are causing serious environmental hazards especially noise and air pollution in various localities of Northern Lahore. Majority of these industrial units are operating in residential localities posing serious threat to human life.
Besides residential areas, a good number of industrial and commercial ventures are operating around historical monuments i.e. Shalimar Garden, Lahore Fort and Badshahi Mosque. The Environment Department of the CDGL had already served notices to many of these ventures but in vain.
Majority of industries especially steel-related ones are using used tyres and substandard rubber products to keep their machines running and these machines releases pollutants such as carbon monoxide, sulphur oxides and toxic metals, which are considered the major source of air pollution in the provincial capital without any control and check.
For many years, marble grinding and furniture manufacturing industries had been established in residential areas of Ichhra, Ferozpur Road and various other residential localities of Bund Road and Ravi Road. Similarly, College Road, Township, has also turned into a mini industrial zone with the establishment of marble grinding industry.
A good number of industrial units manufacturing spurious motor oil are located in Badami Bagh while Rim Market along the historical Lahore Fort is still a serious threat to the biggest archaeological site of the city.
Likewise, Kot Lakhpat Industrial Area is also surrounded by residential colonies and residents of these localities are facing air and other kinds of pollution. Another serious threat being faced by residents is the discharge of polluted water by industries in local drains.
Brandreth Road has become the hub of mechanical spare parts while localities such as Rehman Gallian, Landa Bazaar, Prem Gallian, Adda Crown have changed into manufacturing areas of these spare parts. People have installed high temperature furnaces, steel rubbing and polishing and other related cottage industries in their homes.
Gulshan-e-Ravi - a purely residential locality of the city - is also rapidly changing into a cottage industry zone. A large number of machinery manufacturing units were established in various blocks of this locality especially those close to Bund Road. Motor workshops and heavy body vehicle manufacturing is another rapidly increasing industry in this locality.
Environmental experts have said that principle air pollutant in the smoke is Particulate Matter (PM) that includes toxic metal dusts and fumes of lead, chromium, cadmium and zinc and uncontrolled release of these emissions is deterioration air quality. They said air pollutants restrict photosynthesis, increase respiratory infections, birth defects, acid rains, and lung damage. They said that lead and cadmium are also present in fumes released by steel industry that cause collapse of central nervous system and degeneration of joints, lung and kidney diseases respectively.
Sources in the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) revealed that as per Pakistan Environmental Protection Act, 1997 all industrial units i.e. cottage or large are supposed to obtain NOCs from the EPD but over 70 per cent industrial units operating in the city do not bother to fulfil this legal formality.
Though the EPD runs various campaigns against these industrial units especially those burning used tyres and sub standard rubber products, but the issue is still alive and these industrial units are continuously using this “cheap alternate fuel”.
A senior official of the EPD stated that the department some months ago had already started a survey in North Lahore to access the situation. He said the department was also working on shifting these industrial units outside the City. He said recently some steel industries installed scrubbers to control hazardous effects of air pollution and the department was pursuing others to install these scrubbers.
On the other hand, the EPD has again planned to start a new drive against industries polluting the city and recently the department has sent challans of 13 industrial units to the Environment Tribunal for legal action.
The challans of Lahore’s industrial units and commercial concerns included W-tribe, Bao Screen Printing, Amjed Bricks Company, Abdul Hafeez Bricks Company, Nadeem Bricks Company, Aslam Bricks Company, National Bricks Company, Akram Bricks Company, Omar Bricks Company, Ejaz Bricks Company, Unique Marble Industries, Khas Marble Industry and a case against private person for using generator.
When contacted, a spokesman for the EPD said that the drive against industrial and commercial polluters will continue. He said cases against the above mentioned units had been sent to the Environmental Tribunal after completing all legalities including personal hearing notices, EPOs and final notices.
On the other hand, majority of citizens have appealed to Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to pay attention on this vital and very important issue due to which the health of majority of the city residents is at stake. They also demanded immediate categorization of industrial, commercial and residential localities in the city, saying all industrial units should be shifted to industrial zones outside the city.

Published in Daily The News on Thursday, September 24, 2009.

Citizens pay for delay in landfill project

2011-04-21T00:43:00.000-07:00

By Ali Raza
LAHORE: DELAY in the acquisition of land for the first-ever scientific landfill site in the provincial capital is behind dumping of solid waste in the open - a dangerous practice seriously affecting the quality of underground water, air and health of people in adjoining areas.
Presently, the Solid Waste Management (SWM) Department of the City District Government Lahore (CDGL) is disposing of solid waste at three landfill sites located at Mehmood Booti, Baghrian and Sagian Bridge.
CDGL sources revealed that none of the three sites were environment-friendly and were disposing of waste in violation of rules and regulations formulated by the Ministry of Environment. They said all three sites are termed dumping sites and not landfill sites. Sources claimed that only the landfill site of Mehmood Booti is officially declared a landfill site while SWM authorities have unofficially allowed disposal of solid waste and garbage at the two others sites.
Sources said none of the three sites have any liners (sheets of plastics laid in the soil to stop chemicals seeping into ground water) and chemicals from discarded items such as batteries, paints, and cleaners can leach directly into underground aquifers. The chances of contamination of drinking water with benzene, toluene, and vinyl chloride is common near landfills, said a senior officer of the Environment Protection Department (EPD) adding the number of people suffering from diseases because of these open waste dumping sites is on the rise.
EPD sources revealed that some months ago the department conducted a survey of localities near landfill site of Mehmood Booti revealed that almost every third person in families living nearby was suffering from respiratory, abdominal, stomach or other diseases. Most of the people blame contaminated drinking water and unhygienic air for their health problems.
CDGL figures reveal that over 6,000 tonnes of solid waste is generated daily in the provincial metropolis while over 500 tonnes of waste is generated in Lahore Cantonment Board, Model Town Society and Defence Housing Society areas. No proper landfill site exists. The lifting capacity of SWM is only 5,000 tonne and the remaining 1,000 tonne of solid waste and garbage went into city drains or remained scattered on roads. Environmental experts said if a landfill site is constructed ignoring scientific methods then it serves no purpose and such a site was called a dumping ground only. They said a number of adverse effects may occur from such landfill operations. They said these included pollution of local environment (contamination of groundwater and/or aquifers), off gassing of methane generated by decaying organic wastes; harbouring of disease vectors such as rats and flies, particularly from improperly operated landfills and nuisance problems (dust, odour, vermin, or noise pollution).
Scientifically, a landfill site should contain a network of drains to collect leachate (liquid released by solid and other waste during decomposition process) and pumping system to pump it to the surface where it can be treated. Ground wells are also drilled into and around the landfill to monitor groundwater quality and to detect any contamination. These safety measures keep ground water, which is the main source of drinking water in many communities, clean and pure, experts said. On the other hand, none of the three landfill sites had such a system.
Experts said the landfill was divided into a series of individual cells to protect the environment. Only a few cells of the site (called the working face) are filled with trash at any one time, minimizing exposure to wind and rain and at the end of each day, workers spread a layer of earth—called the daily cover—over the waste to reduce odour and control vermin population. Workers fill and cap each cell with a layer of clay and earth, and then seed the area with native grasses but in Lahore application of such methods is a only a pipe dream.
When a landfill is full, workers seal and cover the landfill with a final cap of clay and dirt. Workers continue to monitor the ground wells for years after a landfill is closed to keep tabs on the quality of groundwater on and around the site.
Solid Waste Management District Officer Rafique Jatoi told The News that the CDGL was in the process of acquisition of 900 kanals of land in Katcha area. He said the delay was due to legal requirements of getting an NOC from the EPD for which Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report was required. He said the CDGL had engaged NESPAK for carrying out the EIA study of the project, which according to him had been completed and the final EIA report was recently submitted to the EPD for approval. He said the new landfill site will be constructed at a cost of over Rs 500 million and will be the first-ever scientific landfill site in Punjab.
Talking about various types of pollution being generated by the landfill sites, he said all these problems will be solved after the construction of the new scientific landfill site in the city.

Published in Daily The News on Saturday, September 26, 2009.

Most of trees along canal are dead

2011-04-21T00:41:00.000-07:00

By Ali Raza
LAHORE: A MAJORITY of healthy looking, big, green poplar trees on both sides of the canal are dead from inside and they are discharging excessive carbon dioxide into the atmosphere instead of keeping it clean.
The findings were revealed in a recent report of a committee constituted by the Lahore High Court while hearing a writ petition. The committee comprised officials of the Punjab Forest Department, the Parks and Horticulture Authority, the Punjab Forestry Research Institute and two lawyers.
The petition was filed by Saeed Nasim Cheema v/s the Punjab Forest Department and Justice Syed Asghar Haider on February 13, 2009, had directed the forest department to depute a team of experts to examine the deteriorating condition of trees on The Mall and the Link Canal, BRB. In pursuance of the court order, the department constituted a committee, which held its first meeting on March 26, 2009, and inspected the sites on March 30, 2009. Meetings were also held on March 31, 2009 and April 4, 2009.
The last meeting of the committee was held on May 21 during which the PHA director said that poplars were planted on the canal banks 30-40 years back while the natural age of the trees was 15 to 25 years.
“At present, the age of poplars is 10 to 15 years above their natural age. Their outer body is green but they are hollow from inside while most of the trees are dead,” the PHA director revealed in the report. He also recommended immediate replacement of the dead trees with new ones.
The committee also devised a comprehensive plan for tree planting along the Canal Road, BRB Canal and The Mall to be completed in next three years. It said that the planting included the Pepal, Amaltas, Gul-e-Mohar, Kachnar, Ghural, Gab, Bottle Brush, Ticoma and Mahwa trees. Ahmad Rafay Alam, one of the members of the committee, said the poplars along the canal had grown past their age. “This means that, although they are living and well, the inside trunks are beginning to grow old and decay from inside. This is natural and occurs in all trees,” he said. Mr Alam said the poplars along the canal were planted during the 1960s along with the eucalyptus. He said the PHA director informed the committee that it was thought that they were quick growing trees that would provide cover along the canal. Other trees with longer life spans were also planted. He said poplars could collapse in strong winds that’s why every monsoon or during every windstorms one or two of such tress used to fall.
The founder of the Shajar Dost Movement and a renowned landscape consultant, Col (Retd) Ejaz Nazim, strongly criticised the departments concerned regarding the issue.
He said the healthy looking trees but hollow or dead from inside were discharging extra carbon dioxide, adding that the trees should be replaced with new long-lasting trees to reduce the rising air pollution.
“The majority of trees along the city canal are badly damaged by termites and any new planting near these infected trees would result in spread of termites,” he said and added that new planting should be made after uprooting the infected and dead trees.
Mr Nazim said the departments like the PHA and Punjab Forest department were not aware of the latest techniques of urban forestry and had not conducted any topographical survey of the trees to check their health. He said the departments had no facilities to plant saplings.
“What we do is plant thousands of saplings randomly, which later destroyed due to various reasons such as extreme weather conditions, unhealthy land and malnutrition,” he said. He urged the departments concerned to modify their approach regarding planting in urban areas and develop tree planting sites where long life trees were planted and nourished before being shifted to any urban area.
Talking about the issue, a number of citizens said what had the PHA and Punjab Forest Department been doing for the last 10 years if they did not know the well-known facts about poplars. However, they appreciated the court for setting up a committee, which finally made a plan and started planting trees according to the local needs.

Published in Daily The News on Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Six districts throwing untreated waste into Chenab

2011-04-21T00:39:00.000-07:00

By Ali Raza
LAHORE: SIX districts in Punjab are throwing untreated industrial effluents and municipal sewage water into the Chenab River resulting in a serious threat to the aquatic life in the river as well as the ecosystem.
Sources in Environmental Protection Department (EPD), Punjab, revealed that the department conducted a detailed survey of the river to gauge its pollution level and got terrifying results. They said there were some 15 points from where untreated toxic industrial effluents and municipal sewage was going into the river increasing the pollution every day.
According to an EPD source, 9000 million gallons of wastewater, having 20,000 tons of BOD5 loading, are daily discharged into water bodies from the industrial sector. Automobile service stations are another major contributor to surface water pollution. Untreated oil, grease and dirt find its way into nearby canals and rivers where it damages the ecosystem.
Sources, while going through the report, said that 15 points from where polluted water was going into the river were situated in six districts. Out of the 15 points, four are situated in District Gujrat, two in District Mandi Bahauddin, four in District Jhang (two each in Tehsil Chinot and Tehsil jhang), three in District Multan and one each in District Hafizabad and District Sargodha.
Besides these districts, Upper Jehlum Canal is also disposing industrial effluents into the river, sources said, adding five drains from the above mentioned six districts, carrying municipal and industrial effluents, are throwing toxic water into the river. These drains are Marh Drain and Paharang Drain in Chiniot, Ahmedwala and Karewala drains in District Jhang and Buddhi Nullah in District Sargodha.
However, the monitoring report claimed that overall situation regarding dissolved oxygen in Chenab River is favorable to support aquatic life but the situation, if not controlled immediately, could be changed.
EPD sources said waste water of Multan city was the biggest threat to the river because there was no wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in the city due to which untreated industrial as well as municipal waste was going into the river. Sources said the Punjab government had approved installation of WWTP at Suraj Miani site near Multan and the PC-1 of the project was under preparation.
Likewise, no wastewater treatment plants are installed in the cities of Jhang, Chinot and Gujrat and untreated water is going into the river, sources said adding there was no plan to install wastewater treatment plants in these cities in near future.
A report of WWF-Pakistan said fresh water was fundamental to the survival of humans and most other land-based life forms. It said growing population, increased economic activity and industrialization had resulted in an increased demand for fresh water. It added that rapid urbanization was changing the patterns of water consumption, which caused a severe misuse of water resources.
The report maintained that discharging untreated sewage and chemical wastes directly into rivers, lakes and drains had become a traditional habit and in Pakistan, water was mainly used for industrial, agricultural and domestic purposes. It said that municipal sewage was a major source of pollution. About two million wet tones of human excreta are annually produced in the urban sector of which around 50 per cent go into water bodies to pollute them. National Conservation Strategy (NCS) states that almost 40 per cent of deaths are related to water borne diseases.
Domestic wastewater collects on the streets and in low-lying areas. The situation is further aggravated by the addition of untreated wastes from small-scale industries.
The report further said that industrial wastewater contained toxic chemicals and it was alarming that most industries had 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 and Sialkot contribute major pollution loads into their water bodies, the report claimed.
Another report of World Health Organization (WHO) says that 25-30 per cent of all hospital admissions are connected to water borne bacterial and parasitic conditions, with 60 per cent of infant deaths caused by water infections.
WWF-Pakistan’s report revealed that water pollution extended a savage threat to wildlife in the country because animals drink water out of polluted water bodies, ailing ponds, rivers and streams. This sickens the animals and some may even die. Extreme pollution of Ravi river has destroyed the once existing 42 species of fish and the bird life around the river has migrated to other areas. Survival of small invertebrates, micro fauna and flora is also threatened.
The report suggested the government to identify industrial units that are the biggest polluters of river water. If National Environmental Quality Standards (NEQS) regarding wastewater were strictly enforced, these industries would have to reduce and treat their waste prior to disposal. A regular qualitative and quantitative monitoring of fresh water resources should also be done. Construction of proper sanitary landfill sites and investigation of ground water quality are among the other recommendations of the report.
Naseemur Rehman, a senior EPD official, said Paharang drain was disposing of treated water into the river, as the only municipal waste water treatment plant in the province was installed on this drain and was fully operative. Talking about the other points from where untreated wastewater is entering into the river, he said the department had asked all the concerned district governments to plan immediate installation of both industrial and municipal wastewater treatment plants in their respective districts.

Published in Daily The News on Wednesday, February 25, 2009.

EPD inaction behind increasing pollution

2011-04-21T00:24:00.000-07:00

By Ali Raza
LAHORE: DIFFERENT types of pollution remained on the rise during year 2010 because of no practical and effective effort on part of the Punjab Environment Protection Department (EPD) to bring down surging levels of water and air pollution across the province.
Policymakers of the EPD did nothing except giving colourful presentations and policy papers to please politicians and ruling elite while on the ground people were compelled to drink contaminated water and inhale poisonous air especially in urban localities.
In the budget 2010-11, the Punjab government introduced a new vision of encouraging use of clean fuels, green public transport and treatment of industrial effluents but ironically these visionary words remained in the budget books.
Environmental issues seemed to be the last priority of the government as during the year 2010, Chief Minister Punjab Mian Shahbaz Sharif failed to ensure installation of any of the four approved waste water treatment plants for Faisalabad, Multan, Sundar Industrial Estate and Quaid-e-Azam Industrial Estate.
It is pertinent to mention here that majority of the industrial units across the province throw their toxic and untreated waste water into the ground as well as water channels like canals and rivers ultimately affecting the overall environmental system of the nature.
In urban areas, the department also failed in running any continuous and effective campaigns against smoke and noise emitting vehicles as well as the industrial units. It is also pertinent to mention here that in urban localities, the department also failed in taking any step to move industrial clusters from residential areas.
In urban areas especially the provincial metropolis, the main cause of deterioration of air quality during 2010 was presence of excessive Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM) in the ambient air. The major sources of the SPM are vehicles, industry, burning of solid waste, brick kilns and natural dust. The origin of the SPM may be a natural phenomenon such as unpaved roads and places uncovered by green grass or trees. The average SPM concentration in Lahore exceeded many folds from the international standards (120 ug/m3).
Free movement of vehicles using crude diesel oil, motorcycles and two stroke rickshaws were also the main causes of air and noise pollution in urban areas including the provincial metropolis. It is worth mentioning here that despite clear directions of the Lahore High Court, the City District Government Lahore, Punjab Transport Department and EPD had failed to enforce ban on two stroke rickshaws in the City.
Another reason, which increased release of toxic gases from vehicles was overloading, faulty fuel injection nozzles and weak engines but none of the departments concerned including EPD took this seriously and failed to take any concrete action against this violation.
During the 2010, most of the tubewells pumped out hazardous and polluted water and a study of EPD about Lahore in 2010 showed that over 90 per cent of the tubewells of Wasa were supplying contaminated water to the citizens.
It is important to note that to tackle different environmental issues, the EPD established laboratories in eight different cities but interestingly the performance of these laboratories except the one in Lahore was nothing. For example EPD’s laboratory in Murree was established in a two room house but most of the time one of these remained occupied by EPD officials who came to Murree alone or with their families to enjoy weather during the year.
The EPD officials including its Director General Dr Shagufta Shahjehan also avoided giving research reports, analyses and laboratory findings especially pertaining to ground water contamination to media because of the fear of the provincial government.
Other main environmental issues, which got less attention in 2010 and needs immediate and permanent solutions in 2011 included safe disposal of hospital waste and enforcement of Hospital Waste Management Rules 2005, regular and open monitoring of ground water, immediate construction of four approved waste water treatment plants for industrial zones, enforcement of rules regarding installation of water treatment plants by industrial sector, shifting of industrial clusters from outside residential localities and etc.
The EPD officials said the main hindrance being faced by them was absence of legal powers to check the polluters. They said the government should make rules pertaining to administrative penalty powers given to EPD officials under PEPA Act 1997, so that officials could use these powers against the polluters.
On the other side, EPD officials said they ran various successful campaigns against pollution besides issuing more than 1,500 Environmental Protection Orders (EPOs), which is a record. They added that special campaigns included action against stone crushers in Taxila and Sargodha, action against rice mills, action against illegal construction near Kalar Kahar Lake and Tharabi Dam in Chakwal District, land acquisition for over 300 tanneries of Sialkot and action against polluters dumping untreated waste water in Rawal Lake.

Published in Daily The News on Saturday, January 08, 2011.

Butterflies on verge of extinction

2010-04-19T05:41:00.000-07:00

By Ali Raza
LAHORE: THE population of colourful butterflies has drastically reduced in the provincial capital mainly due to the increasing level of pollution.
This was revealed in a recent study carried out by the Environment Protection Department (EPD), Punjab. The study was an attempt to gauge the impact of rising pollution on the population of butterflies in the provincial capital.
Officials said a meeting of the officers of the EPD, Punjab, was held on March 26, 2010 under the Chairmanship of secretary of the department, Sajjad Saleem, while its Director General Dr Shagufta was also present. The meeting discussed the issue of reduction in number of butterflies in various parks of Lahore.
The EPD secretary deputed a team of the biodiversity section of the department to visit various parks of Lahore and calculate number of butterflies and to observe types/colours and size of the butterflies. The study, he said, would help establish the impact of pollution on butterflies.
Experts say butterflies play a significant role in the ecosystem and are used as indicators of the health of the environment. They say butterflies’ most important role in the environment healthy is pollination of plants. The diet of adult butterflies consists mostly of nectar from flowers and while gathering nectar, they pick pollen and transfer it to neighbuoring flowers and plants, continuing the life cycle of plants that other animals depended on for survival.
Experts are of the opinion that as caterpillars, some butterflies eat aphids in addition to leaves, removing the destructive aphids and help control their population. Some adult butterflies eat rotten fruit, helping to break it down and assisting in the composting process. At the end of their short life, butterflies help the environment simply by providing nourishment to other creatures. Butterflies are an important food source for many animals that play a vital part in the food chain and in the environment, i.e. bats, snakes, birds, lizards, frogs and etc.
Officials said the EPD’s biodiversity team visited six major public parks in the provincial capital, i.e. Lawrence Garden (Bagh-e-Jinnah), Botanical Garden of Government College University, Model Town Park, Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park, Racecourse Park (Jilani Park) and Shalimar Gardens to study butterflies.
Data and statistics, collected by the team, reveal that colorful butterflies are vanishing from these six gardens of the provincial capital, discovering that only five species are seen in the parks. The five species are: Cabbage Butterfly (scientific name Pieris Rapae), Little Yellow, Little Sulphur (Eurema Lisa), Monarch (Danaus Plexippu), Violet Copper (Lycaena Helle) and Iolas Blue (Iolana Iolas/Debilitata).
The team also conducted interviews of gardeners and visitors who stated that they observed white butterflies while other colorful butterflies are scarcely seen. The proof of the fact is that the most common butterfly, which was found in all the six gardens was Cabbage Butterfly (Pieris Rapae). In Lawrence Garden the team found 26 Cabbage Butterflies, 32 in GCU Botanical Garden, 67 in Model Town Park, 11 in Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park, 39 in Racecourse Park and 35 in Shalimar Gardens.
Team members said that Cabbage Butterfly is a small to medium sized butterfly species of the Yellows and Whites family Pieridae. It has creamy white colour with black tips to the forewings. Females also have two black spots in the center of the forewings. Its under wings are yellowish with black speckles. It is sometimes mistaken for a moth due to its plain-looking appearance.
The second most common butterfly found in all the six parks was Monarch as the team found two Monarch in Lawrence Garden, four in Botanical Garden GCU, seven in Model Town Park, nine in Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park, eight in Racecourse Park and 10 in Shalimar Gardens.
The upper side of wings of Monarch is tawny orange, the veins and margins are black, and in the margins are two series of small white spots. The fore wings also have a few orange spots near the tip. The underside is similar but the tips of the fore wings and hind wings are yellow-brown instead of tawny-orange and the white spots are larger. The male has a black patch of androconial scales responsible for dispersing pheromones on the hind wings, and the black veins on its wing are narrower than the female’s. The male is also slightly larger.
The third most seen specie was Iolas Blue, which was found 16 in number in four gardens, i.e. Model Town Park (2), Gulshan-e-Iqbal (4), Racecourse (4) and Shalimar Gardens (6). The underside of this species is rather unmarked with only the post discal line of spots being of note. The upper side is a uniform blue with fine black borders in the male and broad black borders in the female.
The biodiversity team of the EPD found 13 Little Yellow, Little Sulphur butterflies in four parks, i.e. Model Town Park (6), Gulshan-e-Iqbal (1), Racecourse (2) and Shalimar Gardens (5). The team found only one Violet Copper in Model Town Park. The team in its finding stated that there were about more than 400 species of butterflies and moths in the country.

Govt departments told to follow environmental laws

2010-02-15T00:19:00.000-08:00

By Ali Raza
LAHORE: THE Provincial Planning and Development Department has directed all the public sector departments as well as district governments to strictly follow environmental laws before initiating any kind of public sector projects to avoid future objections, criticism and law suits.
Sources said the Planning and Development Secretary recently directed all the public sector departments as well as the district governments to include provisions of environmental laws while approving development projects. Sources claimed that in past several cases were reported to the P&D in which international donors backed off from the projects or refused to approve them due to non availability of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) reports of the projects.
Section 12 of the Pakistan Environmental Protection Act (PEPA), 1997, has made it mandatory for the public as well as private sector to make initial environmental examination (IEE) and environmental impact assessment (EIA) of every project.
“No proponent of a project shall commence construction or operation unless he has filed with the Federal Agency an initial environmental examination or, where the project is likely to cause an adverse environmental effect, an environmental impact assessment, and has obtained from the Federal Agency approval in respect thereof,” EPD officials said while quoting the Act.
After submission of IEE or EIA report, the federal agency reviews the IEE or EIA reports of the project and issues NOC of approval for the project. It is pertinent to mention here that Section 12 of the Act also made it clear that every review of an environmental impact assessment shall be carried out with public participation
EPD sources revealed that majority of the public sector departments were not aware of the mandatory condition mentioned in PEPA Act 1997 due to which they failed in including IEE or EIA reports in the PC-1 of the projects. Sources said another reason of ignoring environmental laws among the public as well as private sector was that preparing IEE or EIA report increased the project costs due to the hiring of consultants and environmental experts.
According to the gazette notification dated June 13, 2000, the projects required submission of IEE and EIA included poultry, livestock, stud, fish farms, projects involving repacking, formulation or warehousing of agriculture products, hydropower generation projects, thermal power projects, transmission lines, large distribution projects, oil and gas transmission systems, oil and gas extraction projects, including exploration, production, gathering systems, separation and storage, waste-to-energy generation projects, ceramics and glass units, food processing industries, including sugar mills, beverages, mild and dairy products, man-made fibers and resin projects, manufacturing of apparel, dyeing, printing, wood products, smelting plants, commercial extraction of sand, gravel, limestone, clay and sulphur, crushing, grinding and separation processes, federal or provincial highways (except maintenance, rebuilding or reconstruction of existing metal roads), ports and harbor development, dams, reservoirs, irrigation and drainage projects, small-scale irrigation systems, water supply schemes, treatment plants, waste disposal facilities for domestic or industrial wastes, housing schemes, public facilities, urban development projects, nuclear power plants, petroleum refineries, cement plants, chemical plants, fertilizer plants, industrial estates, export processing zones, pesticides, petrochemical complex, textile, plastic products and airports.
When contacted, EPD spokesman claimed that the EPD had initiated a massive training programme for the awareness of public sector departments. He said the department had engaged senior professors of different universities and environmental experts to train government officials. The training programme was being run for a week in a month and two such sessions had already been completed, the spokesman added.
Published in Daily The News on Friday, January 22, 2010.

Citizens pay for delay in landfill project

2010-02-15T00:02:00.000-08:00

Pollution--a non issue for the government...No concrete steps taken to curb pollution

2010-02-14T23:55:00.000-08:00

By Ali Raza
LAHORE: All kinds of pollution, especially air and water, were on rise throughout the year as policy makers remained busy making presentations and policy papers for higher authorities to tackle the grave concerns, instead of taking some concrete step in this regard.
The problem of urban congestion in the provincial metropolis affected air and water quality while insufficient waste management skills of the City District Government Lahore (CDGL) added the already deteriorating atmospheric condition.
Due to the relatively higher population growth, the absence of public transport services and tremendous increase in the number of privately owned vehicles, high concentrations of pollutants such as carbon dioxide, nitrous oxides and sulphur penetrated in the air, seriously affecting the health of general public.
Short-term and limited campaigns against smoke emitting vehicles and two stroke motorcycle rickshaws failed to improve the air quality.
Another issue of air quality in the city was the excessive presence of Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM) in the ambient air. The major sources of the SPM in the city are vehicles, industry, burning of solid waste, brick kilns and natural dust. Unpaved roads and absence of green belts are the originators of Suspended Particulate Matter (PM). The Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) is responsible for maintaining the green belts but the authority failed to perform its duty except maintaining green belts in posh localities and important roads of the city.
The average SPM concentration in Lahore exceeded 3 times from the Japanese standards (200 ug/m3) and 6 times from WHO guidelines (120 ug/m3), reveals a recent Pak-EPA report prepared after the investigation of air and water quality of Lahore, Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
A slight decrease in the sale of private motor vehicles was witnessed during the year as majority of the banks and leasing companies tightened their rules and regulations. This, however, did not affect the city’s air quality because the number of vehicles plying on the city roads was already very high.
EPD officials said that, amongst all the vehicles, those running on diesel worsened the situation. It is pertinent to mention that, earlier, the government, sensing the alarming increase in pollution, especially air and water pollution in the province, introduced the vision of encouraging the use of clean fuels, green public transport and treatment of industrial effluents but no program in concrete form was implemented.
Scattered solid waste, non-implementation of Hospital Waste Management Rules, 2005 and sale of hospital waste to the recycling industry in the city were the other problems facing the city’s environment.
The EPD, however, launched a massive operation against the city pathology laboratories but ended the crackdown after issuing mere warnings. Cases of some laboratories were also sent to the tribunal where they were awaiting “legal action” against the violators. No major crackdown on city hospitals, both government and private, was launched for the implementation of the Hospital Waste Management Rules 2005 by the EPD.
During the year, no practical move was launched to shift light and heavy industrial units established in various residential city localities i.e. Misri Shah, Baghbanpura, Moghalpura, Daroghewala, Bhagat Pura, Chah Miran, Shadbagh and others along the Bund Road and GT Road. These industries included Steel Foundries, Steel Re-rolling Mills, Brick Kilns, Steel Furnaces, Scrap Yards, Plastic Recycling Industry, Marble Grinding, Furniture making and several other kinds of cottage industries. All of these industries are adding to all kinds of pollution, especially air, noise, vibration and heat.
According to a rough estimate, over 700 industrial units, including a major chunk of steel related industries, are causing serious environmental hazards, especially noise and air pollution, in various localities of the northern Lahore. Majority of these industrial units are operating in residential localities posing serious threat to human life.
Besides the residential areas, a good number of industrial and commercial ventures are operating around historical monuments i.e. Shalimar Garden, Lahore Fort and Badshahi Mosque.
It is pertinent to mention that the CDGLís department of environment served notices to many of these ventures but in vain.
The point of concern is that majority of the industries, especially those related with steel, are using used tyres and sub standard rubber products to keep their machines alive and releases pollutants like carbon monoxide, sulphur oxides and toxic metals, considered a major source of air pollution in the provincial capital. Small drives were launched against such violators and serious action is still awaited.
During last many years, Marble Grinding and furniture-manufacturing industries have been established in residential areas of Ichra, Ferozpur Road and various other residential localities of Bund Road and Ravi Road. Like this College Road Township has also turned into a mini industrial zone with the establishment of Marble Grinding industry. During the year 2009, no drive was launched against this increasing industrial sector in residential localities.
A good number of industrial units of manufacturing spurious motor oil were established in Badami Bagh while the Rim Market along the historical Lahore Fort is still a serious threat to the biggest archaeological site of the city.
Likewise, the Kot Lakhpat Industrial Area is also surrounded by residential colonies and residents of these localities are daily facing the air and other kinds of pollution of the industries. Another serious threat facing the nearby residents is the discharge of polluted water by the industries in local drains.
Brandreth Road has become the hub of mechanical spare parts while the inner localities like Rehman Gallian, Landa Bazaar, Prem Gallian, Adda Crown have changed into the manufacturing areas of these spare parts. People have installed high temperature furnaces, steel rubbing and polishing and other related cottage industries in their homes. No serious drive was launched to curb the trend.
Gulshan-e-Ravi, a purely residential locality, is also rapidly changing into a cottage industry zone. A large number of machinery-manufacturing units were established in various blocks of this locality, especially those close to the Bund Road. Motor workshops and heavy body vehicle manufacturing is another rapidly increasing industry in this locality. These industries are still working and no legal action has been taken for shifting them outside the city.
As per Pakistan Environmental Protection Act, 1997 all industrial units are supposed to obtain NOC from EPD but over 70 per cent units, including industrial units operating in the city, did not bother to fulfil this legal formality. The lack of enforcement of rules to discourage to polluters has made the EPD a toothless tiger.
Published in Daily The News on Saturday, December 26, 2009.

Hospital faces action over waste disposal

2010-02-14T23:51:00.000-08:00

By Ali Raza

LAHORE: The Environment Protection Department (EPD) has initiated legal action against a renowned private hospital for disposing of hazardous hospital waste in residential skips on Jail Road, directing all the District Officers (Environment) to start strict monitoring of private hospitals across the province.
Sources in the EPD said, as a first step, the department would issue Environmental Protection Orders (EPO) to the administration of the hospital on Tuesday (today) after which the case would be sent to the Environmental Tribunal.
The EPD spokesman said the department had received a complaint from local residents that Surgimed was disposing of its hazardous medical waste in the local garbage container. He said the issue was immediately referred to the District Officer (Environment) who constituted a team, which inspected the said site and sealed the garbage container.
Sources in the EPD said, after the recent complaint, the department has decided to come hard on the private hospitals, especially those who are not following Hospital Waste Management Rules, 2005. They said, so far, the department had served over 750 EPOs to various private and public hospitals while cases of some 200 private and public hospitals were pending in the tribunal.
The sources claimed that the Environment secretary had also contacted the Health Department for the implementation of the HWMR 2005 across the province. They said, under section 12 of the rules, the Health department was supposed to take action against the violators. They said the EPD was initiating action on its own using other provisions of the law.
On the other hand, non-implementation of HWMR 2005 had converted the provincial metropolis into a hub of hospital waste recycling industry, which posed a serious threat to the people as well as the workers involved in this industry. They claimed that only 10 to 15 per cent waste generated by the major city hospitals is incinerated while the rest went to the recycle industry.
Sources said the EPD had already sent notices to majority of the city hospitals for not complying with section 31 of the Pakistan Environment Protection Act (PEPA) of 1997. The section requires all hospitals to dispose of their waste properly, according to the Hospital Waste Management Rules (HWMR) 2005. As per the rules, all hospitals, public or private, are bound to handle and dispose of their waste according to the Hospital Waste Management Rules, 2005. The EPD sources added the EPOs had already been issued to the Lahore General Hospital, Jinnah Hospital, Children Hospital, Ganga Ram Hospital, Services Hospital, Mayo Hospital, Mian Munshi Hospital, etc, under section 16 of Pakistan Environmental Protection Act (PEPA).
Experts say the re-use of hospital waste poses serious threat to the health of citizens besides the workers and other people affiliated with the recycling industry in Lahore. If infectious waste is not destroyed properly, it will cause many fatal diseases like Hepatitis and AIDS, doctors say adding that the waste also causes skin, respiratory and eye diseases.
Sources revealed that private parties were bringing tons of contagious and infectious hospital waste from across the province in the city for recycling purposes. They said the rackets involved in this illegal trade were bringing hospital waste pack in sacks through trucks.
Majority of the plastic recycling industry is situated along the Bund Road, Shahdara, North Lahore and other far-flung localities. The waste leaked in the open market is supplied to majority of the plastic recycling industry in closed trucks and other vehicles reflecting the ‘strong ties’ of the hospital staffers and the mafia people.
They sources said the plastic industry was manufacturing various items from the recycled hospital waste, like plastic furniture, plastic toys, plastic utensils, bottles and jars, etc. They said the phenomenon was a new revelation for the authorities as earlier it was considered that the hospital waste of local hospitals was leaked out and sold in the local markets to be used in the plastic industry.
They said majority of the factories were established in small houses and converted the hospital waste in small plastic pieces. Many factories are also involved in washing of the used hospital waste such as syringes, urine bags, glucose bottles and blood bags, the sources claimed.
A senior official of the CDGL Environment department said the mafia was involved in sale and purchase of hazardous and infectious hospital waste, earning more than Rs 15 million per day out of which the value of Lahore’s waste was more than Rs 5 million per day. He said only 10 to 15 per cent waste generated by the major city hospitals as incinerated while the rest went to the plastic recycle industry.
All the hospitals, both public and private, are bound to handle and dispose of their waste as per the Hospital Waste Management Rules, 2005. The sources said majority of the private hospitals, clinics and pathological laboratories operating in the municipal limits were not observing these rules.
Naseemur Rehman, a senior official of the EPD, said the Punjab government had taken up the issue seriously and the department had already directed all the 35 District Officers (Environment) to closely monitor the hospitals in their respective districts. He said, under the EPOs, administrations of the hospitals were directed to improve the cleanliness condition of their respective hospitals within the next ten days. He said the hospitals were directed to implement the Hospital Waste Management Rules 2005 in true spirit. In case of failure, the EPD would send cases against hospitals in Environmental Protection Tribunal for further action, he said.
Published in Daily The News on Tuesday, January 19, 2010.

Phone towers without NOCs face action

2010-02-14T23:49:00.000-08:00

By Ali Raza
LAHORE: THE Environment Protection Department (EPD) Punjab has decided to come hard on BTS towers installed by the telecommunication companies across the province without getting any NOC from the department.
Sources in the department said that the department had directed its field formations in all districts of the Punjab to start examination of the towers, so that action could be taken against those installed towers for which no NOC was taken from the department. The department has also directed its officials to check those towers which were polluting the local environment by noise, vibration or smoke of their generators.
The EPD sources said according to rules, all the cellular companies desirous to install BTS towers or antennas needed to submit documents to DCO regarding site plan of the proposed site and site details (whether to be installed on rooftop, building premises or open plot). He said the companies also needed to present structural stability certificate from a qualified structural engineer or engineering company registered with the Pakistan Engineering Council and countersigned by the director concerned of the mobile telephone company.
The companies also must submit NOC from Civil Aviation Authority wherever required, affidavit from the concerned owner of the property, detailed design of the tower and ownership proof. They are also required to present NOC from environmental protection authority or district officer environment for that particular location for generator set only.
Tariq Zaman, District Officer (Environment) while talking with The News, said that the City District Government Lahore (CDGL) had also initiated a strong campaign against the installation of BTS towers in residential localities. He said around 1200 to 1500 BTS towers of different telecommunication companies and internet providers had been installed in the city and claimed that about 30 per cent of these were installed without getting any NOC from the CDGL.
He said the CDGL had already proposed the government to discourage installation of BTS Towers in residential areas and they must be installed in commercial or industrial areas. In thickly populated localities, these towers should be installed on the rooftops of big commercial centers, he said.
Published in Daily The News on Friday, February 05, 2010.

End of silence

2010-02-14T03:37:00.000-08:00

By Ali Raza
LAHORE: Complete silence is when not the smallest sound is heard and true absolute silence is virtually unattainable in modern-day world. Silence is unattainable even in the remotest areas. Noise increase is a gift of modern-day life. Environmentalists believe noise creates several complex problems and brings in several behavioral changes in humans as well as other living beings.
An environmentalist says there is hardly any place in and around the world where absolute silence is possible and adds attaining `a square inch of silence’ is not less than hitting a jackpot. He says silence is “a precious, underrated commodity facing extinction.”
“Silence keeps one cool and calm while noise does otherwise,” says Dr Tassadduq Ibad Naqvi, an otologist, while talking to this scribe. Noise intensity is measured in decibels (dB). According to WHO, noise level in residential, commercial and industrial areas should be 45dB, 55dB and 65dB. A normal person can bear noise up to 45dB. At 120dB the ear begins to experience pain and this level of noise can also impair hearing if experienced for a long period of time.
He says there is hardly any city part where silence is not more than permissible limits. Honking vehicles, buzz of electronics and industrial and commercial noises have upset city as well as rural life. It has also caused negative impacts on human behavior and psychology.
Citing an example, he says, a motorist stays pleasant and calm while driving on the Motorway while the same person loses control in the city’s traffic mess. This is because of a change in psychological composition of the mind.
“Silence is something one assumes one will always be able to find if one needs it. All one has to do is to drive far enough in the right direction, trek through quiet fields or woods,” says Dr Owais Farooqui, who is chairman of the Task Force of the Environment Protection Department.
Audio ecologist Gordon Hempton defines silence as “the complete absence of all audible mechanical vibrations, leaving only the sounds of nature at her most natural. Silence is the presence of everything, undisturbed,” he maintains.
And silence, Hempton believes, is rapidly disappearing, even in the most remote places. Hempton has circled the earth three times over the past three decades, recording sound on every continent except Antarctica. His work has been used in film soundtracks, videogames, and museums.
He has also trekked through both remote and urban landscapes, measuring decibels and rude interruptions to the noises of nature. Why silence is necessary? Environmentalists say it has become an increasingly rare experience to be in nature as compared to our distant ancestors.
About the effects of silence on human body, Dr Naqvi it makes one sane rather driving one crazy. Recent studies have shown that experience with nature can be as effective as medication in the treatment of several diseases, he maintains.
“Honking vehicles, din of engines, noises of loudspeakers, generators and drum beats are a routine for us,” says Shahid, a resident of Model Town. He says he and his wife have recently visited the Shalamar Gardens to find some peace of mind but found it full of hustle and bustle. He says he suffers from mood swings and headache most of the day because of noise. He says he also gets irritated while walking or driving in the city.
Naseemur Rehman, a senior official of the EPD, says noise level at an average of 75dB has been recorded in Defence Housing Authority, Gulberg and Model Town. He says the average noise level in the industrial areas has been recorded above 120dB. He, however, claims that noise pollution has decreased after a ban on two-stroke rickshaws and admits there is a lot to be done yet.
Publishd in daily The News on Friday, February 12, 2010.

Keenjhar Lake faces environmental degradation

2009-11-18T05:45:00.000-08:00

By Ali Raza
LAHORE: Situated at a distance of some 113 km from Karachi and about 20 km from Thatta, Keenjhar Lake, a freshwater lake, having an area of about 145 km, is facing serious environmental degradation.
A visit to the lake with a team of journalists and experts of the WWF-Pakistan some days back revealed that local people are engaged in deforestation and logging activities. The process is leading towards the habitat destruction while pollutants from various sources, including pesticides from agricultural lands and effluents from different industries, pose serious threats to the precious freshwater turtles of the lake. The lake, being a tourist spot, is triggering the situation through water contamination.
With a maximum depth of eight meters, the Keenjhar Lake is located in a stony desert, composed of alternating layers of limestone and sandstone. Historically, it is formed by the union of two lakes � Sonehri and Keenjhar � through the construction of an embankment on their eastern side in 1950s. These two lakes came into being when the River Indus changed its course, cutting off these lakes.
Before the construction of the embankment, the lakes were fed by about a dozen hill torrents on the western side. Later it started getting most of its water from the Indus River through the Kalri Baghar Canal, originating from Kotri Barrage. Several small seasonal streams also fed this lake. The only outlet is through the Jam Branch Canal at the southeast corner of the lake.
The Keenjhar Lake is also known as the largest freshwater lake of the country. The locals, residing around the lake, are using water for their daily consumption while the lake is also the main source of water supply to Karachi and parts of the Thatta district.
The lake was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1977 under the Sindh Wildlife Protection Ordinance, 1972. The sanctuary has a buffer zone of five kilometres. It has also been designated as Ramsar site in 1976. The lake has a rich flora of submerged, floating and emergent aquatic plants such as Potamogeton spp, Najas minor, Nelumbo nucifera, Nymphaea spp, Cyperus spp, Phragmites spp, Typha spp etc. They provide both food and shelter to fauna species. Many birds reside in the thick growth of Typha and Phragmites. The land around the lake has a rich diversity of semi-aquatic to dry land plant species.
The Keenjhar Lake is an important breeding and wintering area for a wide variety of terrestrial and migratory birds. Breeding birds include night-heron, cotton teal, pheasant tailed jacana, purple moorhen and some passerines. Cotton teal has disappeared in the recent years and has not been seen on the lake for a few years. Mammals include jackals, fox, porcupine, mongoose and small rodents. Pangolin has also been seen. Among reptiles, snakes like cobra and saw-scaled viper are common. Monitor lizards and spiny-tailed lizards are also found here.
About 50,000 people are dependent on this fresh water lake and a total of 800 fishing crafts are operating in the area. The fishermen have their own fishing territories.
The lake is facing heavy pollution due to pesticides, which are widely used in the nearby cultivated areas. People have livestock, especially buffaloes, goats and cows, and they graze them in the buffer zone and around the lake.
Due to the decline in fisheries, some people are also involved in the mining of stones from the nearby stony hills. Some communities are also earning income from the local tourists coming from Karachi, Hyderabad and Thatta for recreational purpose. They have speedboats and they usually charge Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500 per day based on the time and trip. The boats do not have any safety gears, therefore, lots of accidents have occurred. People also grow rice, sugarcane, maize and vegetables in the buffer zone and adjacent areas of the lake.
It is pertinent to mention here that scores of hunters, particularly during the winter season, visit the lake to shoot migratory birds. This poses a serious threat to the wild animals around Keenjhar. Similarly, wild boar hunting with dogs and guns also disturbs the existing wildlife in the area.
In some areas of the Indus Eco-region, Indian otter is considered a blessing among the poor fishermen. The otter helps in catching fish in the nets. Due to this role, some fishermen keep tamed otters but now these are extinct in Keenjhar. The major threat to Indian otter is trapping and poaching for its skin. Secondly, the fish farmers kill the animal and get the dual benefit by selling its skin. The WWF-Pakistan has demanded the Government of Sindh check the animal�s hunting so that it could survive in Keenjhar.
The lake is facing the scarcity of freshwater over years due to which the population of freshwater turtles is adversely affected, thus the natural balance of aquatic ecosystem is disturbed. Local people are heavily engaged in deforestation and logging activities. This is leading towards the habitat destruction for the associated fauna. Use of the lake as a tourist spot is another source of pollution for its water. More than 15,000 people from Karachi visit the lake weekly.
Published in Daily The News on Tuesday, November 17, 2009.

Chotiari lakes threatened by water reservoir

2009-11-18T05:43:00.000-08:00

By By Ali Raza
LAHORE: ONE of the most diverse wetland sites in the country, Chotiari lakes, has been turned into a big water reservoir, posing a serious threat to the environment of the area besides causing extinction of several local animal and bird species.
In the past, the Chotiari lakes area was characterised by wetlands, riverine forests, desert scrubs and sand dunes, which provided an ecological richness, and was considered a haven for migratory birds, hog-deer, local species of crocodile, and a variety of fish species. These lakes also supported grazing, fishing and agricultural activities of indigenous people but after the construction of reservoir, the area lost its natural beauty and features.
Spreading over an area of around 1,800 hectares, Chotiari is situated in the Thar Desert around 30-35 km northwest of District Sanghar in Sindh. The aim of constructing the reservoir was to provide water for irrigation purposes to the tail end areas of Nara Canal, i.e. Omer Kot, Mirpurkhas and Sanghar districts.
Presently, the presence of plenty of water has turned the once fertile agricultural land on its western and southern banks into waterlogged and uncultivable areas. Over 35 settlements, especially the one on the sand dunes within the reservoir area which were housing fishermen, have submerged under five to 30 feet water, ruining the existing rangelands and resulting in the loss of biodiversity and fodder for livestock that has been a major livelihood source for people of the area.
Owing to the rising water and associated salinity of the non-cropped areas, fallow land is decreasing while abandoned land is increasing. As a result, farmers are forced to intensify cropping on their best land.
Increased water supplies initially increased the cropped area but at the expense of decreasing the non-cropped area, which reduced the dry drainage effect and allowed the water table to rise. Some areas have already reached a point where pockets of cultivated land are surviving because they are surrounded by a saline waste.
Widespread deforestation for agriculture expansion and to meet growing demand of firewood in the nearby Sanghar city and indiscriminate use of pesticides on agricultural crops have also been a threat to the flora and fauna of the area.
The reservoir has also disturbed the habitat of the unique wildlife species found in the area, especially marsh crocodile. Two important species, the gavial and the smooth coated otter, are on the verge of extinction. Hog deer is another endangered species of the area - degradation and shrinkage of its habitat is one of the main reasons for the decline in the hog deer population.
Majority of the residents of the nearby localities of the reservoir are followers of Pir Sahib of Pagaro - the spiritual guide of Hurs who had revolted against the colonial rulers - and are not happy with the construction of the reservoir. Some of them were those who have lost their land and still running from pillar to post to get the promised compensation.
They say that the long and high embankments and dykes built to convert different lakes into a single reservoir has disturbed the natural flow of water into the lakes and spoiled the water quality in some of the lakes.
An uneven supply of water into the reservoir has not been instrumental in increasing the production of fish in the area. When the water level goes down, the fish production also declines. There has been decreased fish catch due to the loss of flora in the reservoir, which has had a significant impact on the livelihood of the fishermen.
The biological diversity of the area has drawn the attention of WWF-Pakistan, which has launched a special programme for the rehabilitation of the natural beauty of the area under its Indus for All programme. Environmental experts of the WWF say that richness of biodiversity of the area is especially prominent in birds, small mammals and reptiles/amphibians with 80 bird, 26 small mammal and 31 reptile and amphibian species.
Due to this project, families living in the area for many generations have been forced to vacate their land and traditional way of life in the name of progress. Herdsmen who for generations used the lakes fringes as pastures had moved away in search of grazing sites, resulting in increasing grazing pressure on other areas.
Fishing communities harmonised with the ecology of the lakes were stranded on the shores of the vast reservoir. With substantial increase in water level of the lakes, several grass and tree species were drowned, which have changed the natural eco-system forever.
In the past, Pakistan Network for Rivers, Dams and People (PNRDP) Sindh also raised serious objections over the construction of the reservoir under an independent study carried out in 1998. They said the Chotiari Reservoir Project was designed to increase the storage capacity of lakes in district Sanghar in order to increase the irrigation discharge for agriculture in Umarkot district. They said the reservoir had flooded an area of approximately 100 square miles besides submerging over 40 villages and some 45,000 acres of cultivated or grazing land.
Published in Daily The News on Thursday, November 12, 2009.

Pai forest on verge of extinction

2009-11-18T05:33:00.000-08:00

By Ali Raza
LAHORE: Once known for royal visitors and high-profile personalities, the Pai forest in the Nawabshah district, Sindh, is facing serious threat of extinction due to continuous intrusion of land grabbers and water scarcity.
This was revealed to a delegation of the Forum of Environment Journalist Pakistan (FEJP) during a visit to the Pai forest along with a team of WWF-Pakistan. It is pertinent to mention here that Nawabshah is the hometown of President Asif Ali Zardari.
The forest, which is spread over 1,933 hectors, is rich in flora and fauna with diverse wildlife. It is a protected area and a part of the Indus eco-region that has been identified as one of 40 biologically richest eco-regions in the world.
Officials of the WWF-Pakistan working for the conservation of this centuries old man-made forest revealed that around 250 acres of the forest has been encroached upon by the influential of the area while the Sindh government allotted 150 acres to the Army and 140 acres to the Pakistan Agriculture Research Council, clearly violating the spirit of ‘protected area’.
According to the available figures, there are 23 villages around the forest, having a population of over 30,000 that adds extra pressure on the forest because locals also grab land to cultivate cash crops. This is because their traditional livelihood based on livestock is reduced and does not pay well in comparison to cash crops.
It was also revealed that the local villagers were also found involved in cutting of forest for fuel-wood, significantly contributing to the destruction of the forest and ecosystem.
The Pai forest is also known as a riverine forest but, presently, water-scarcity is also a major issue contributing to the slow death of this beautiful forest. Officials of WWF-Pakistan said that after the construction of flood protection bund on the Indus River, the forest has turned into an irrigated forest. It has been cut off from the riverine areas and made an inland forest. This inland forest is situated outside the river embankments.
Hence, its reliance on regular inundation from the Indus River has been shifted to control supply of water from the Rohri Canal.
It was also revealed that 30 cusecs of water per month is approved for this forest to keep it alive but the supply of water is not more than 7 to 8 cusecs per month, which is only irrigating around 25 percent of the forest.
The agony of water-starved forest is exacerbated by plantation of eucalyptus trees, water-consuming specie as the Sindh Forest Department planted these trees without any future vision. Officials of the WWF-Pakistan claimed that the trees were planted to show quick progress of work of the Sindh Forest Department in the forest.
The seriousness of the Sindh government towards one of the important eco-regions of the world can be gauged from the fact that not a single staffer of the Sindh Forest Department was seen at the site. There are ruins of a forest department’s staff colony that shows that, in the distant past, there used to be forest department staff in the Pai Forest. Abandoned rusty tube wells, partly used for irrigating the forest, are also a common sight, reflecting the commitment of the Sindh government toward conserving the important ecosystem of the region.
There are no practical efforts taken by the Sindh Forest Department for the conservation and sustainable management of wildlife and forest’s habitat. Important wildlife of the area includes hog deer, partridges, Asiatic jackals, jungle cat, porcupine, wild boar, snakes etc.
According to the WWF official, hunting was permitted through licenses to protect indigenous wildlife population, but the limit was rarely adhered to and indiscriminating hunting was common. This posed a threat to the population of hog deer and partridges. Hence, for the last over two year, no license has been issued for hunting.
Some locals told that the number of hog deer, gray partridges, wild boars, jackals, jungle cats, Bengal foxes and mongooses were fast declining in the Pai forest due to poaching by influential people. They claimed that only a few hog deer were left in the entire forest. A large number of hog deer have been hunted by feudal lords and bureaucrats, while high-profile foreign personalities, particularly from the Middle East, are also invited to hunt animals in this game reserve.
Gray partridges are being over hunted, and the influential of the area break the sanctioned hunting limit often. Every year, new beats are made in the forest for hunting. This involves levelling the land in selected forest areas and planting new trees. Cotton is grown in these levelled areas, since pests which attack cotton tend to attract partridges, who feed on them, they said, adding there were now hardly any black partridges at all in the forest.
To lessen the pressure on the forest from the local communities, the WWF-P introduced Community Based Organisations (CBOs) and, at present, around 14 CBOs are working in villages adjacent to the forest, which are funded by the Dutch government. The purpose is to create awareness about the importance of the forest ecosystem and provide alternate means of income and source of energy. CBOs are providing vocational training to females and running bio-gas plants in different villages around the forest.
The Nawabshah district coordination officer (DCO) admitted all the above-mentioned facts, but said the PAI forest was controlled by the Sindh Forest Department, so he could not take measures to stop the ongoing land grabbing in the protected area. He also showed his inability to resolve the issue of release of sanctioned water to the forest.
Published on Tuesday, November 10, 2009.

The Innovation Journalism Blog: How to Report on Environmental Innovation / Cleantech

2009-08-20T06:31:00.000-07:00

The Innovation Journalism Blog: How to Report on Environmental Innovation / Cleantech

63 labs issued notices for violating rules

2009-06-30T07:41:00.000-07:00

By Ali Raza

LAHORE: THE City District Government Lahore (CDGL) and the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) have issued warning notices to 63 pathological laboratories including those operating in some top ranking hospitals of the provincial metropolis for not following the Hospital Waste Management Rules (HWMR) 2005.
The campaign against pathological laboratories which were not following the HWMR 2005 started last week on the directions of EPD Secretary Sajjad Saleem who constituted eight inspection teams.
The notices were issued to Dr. Najam Sehar Butt of Najam Hospital (122-Jehanzaib Block, Allama Iqbal Town), Dr. Aasia Asghar of Doctors Inn Clinic (135-Jahanzaib Block, Allama Iqbal Town), Dr. Javaid Khan of Khan Hospital (01-Chenab Block, Allama Iqbal Town), Major ( R) Dr. Rahat Hussain of Rahat Laboratory (25-Jehanzaib Block, Allama Iqbal Town), Mrs. Amtul Aleem Awaan of Hussain Memorial Hospital (105-Multan Road), Dr. Farooq Saeed Khan of Farooq Hospital (02-Asif Block, Allama Iqbal Town), Captin Dr. M. Shafique of Al-Shafi Hospital (15-Gulshan Block, Allama Iqbal Town), Mrs. Sameera Tahir of Singapur Medical Centre (10-Gulshan Block, Allama Iqbal Town), Dr. Zafar Ullah Malik of Zinis Laboratory (8-Gulshan Block, Allama Iqbal Town and 99-Multan Road), Dr. Abdul Rasheed Qureshi of Zeshan Lab (303-Azeem Building, Ravi Road opposite Lady Willington Hospital), Dr. Ramzan of Axal Lahore Lab (Dr. Rizwan Complex Opp. Meo Hospital), Dr. Tanveer-ul-Islam of Nisar Lab near Alfalah Bank, Wassanpura, Dr. Samia of Shifa Lab (63-Nisbat Road), Dr. Abdul Wadood of Pride Lab (Basement New Mehmood Medical Store, Meo Hospital), Sulman Chughtai of Sulman Chughtai Lab (Opp. Emergency Gate, Meo Hospital), Dr. Zafar Iqbal of Shalimar Lab (Shalimar Link Road), Dr. Shakeel of Mushtaq Hospital & Lab (Main Link Shalamar Road), Mrs. Shazia Hameed of Shazia Hameed Lab (Opp. Shalimar Hospital, Link Shalamar Road), Dr. Maryam of Viral Lab (106-Habitat Flat, Jail Road), Dr. Shahid Mehmood of Royal Clinical Laboratory (89-C, Jail Road), Raza Ijaz of Rana Hospital (15-B, Shadman-II, Jail Road), Dr. Muhammad Khalid of Hormon Lab (104-Habitat Flat, Jail Road), Imran Raza Zaidi of Raza Medical Complex (10-C Shadman-II, Opp: Punjab institute of Cardiology, Jail Road), Dr. Muhammad Sajjad Baqar of Capital Lab (127-Habitat Flat, Shadman-II, Jail Road), Dr.Mazhar Iqbal of Ormapadic Medical Complex (Opp Kinnaired College, Jail Road), Dr. Akhtar Sohail Chughtais of Chughtais Lahore Lab, Dr. Abdul Aziz Rana of Ommar Hospital (Opp Kinnaired College, Jail Road), Dr. Akhtar Ali of Cardex Hospital (Opp Kinnaired College, Jail Road), Dr. Shaheena Asif of Surgimed Hospital (1-Zafar Ali Road), Fahdel Sheikh of Aadil Hospital (Main Boulevard D.H.A), Humayun Rasheed of Rasheed Hospital (Main Boulevard D.H.A), Jamil Arshad Chaudhry of Prime Care Hospital (Main Boulevard Defense), Ahtisham-ud-Din Qureshi of Test Care Labs (71-A, HBFC Project, opposite Allama Iqbal Medical College, Jinnah Hospital), Dr. Tauqeer Akhtar of Clin lab (517-A, Faisal Town), Dr. M. Munir of M/S Central Lab (532-A, Faisal Town), Dr. Nehal Ahmad Khan of Nehal Medical Center(519-Faisal Town), Naveed Asif Azeem and Mohsin Hadeed of A.K. Medical Laboratories (518-A, Faisal Town, Opp Jinnah Hospital), Dr. Mujtaba Jaffary of Times Hospital & Medical Centre (146-A Faisal Town), Feroz Rasool of The Aga Khan University, Dr. Shahzad S. Qureshi of Indus Lab (100-A, Shadman-I), Dr. Shahnaz Saeed Hassan of Naz Hospital & Lab (6-A, Link Shadman Road), Dr. Liaqat of Gillani Hospital (59-Riwaz Garden), Dr. Muhammad Ihsan of Ihsan Hospital (17-Shah Jamal), Naveed Anwar (Administrator) of Surayya Azeem (Waqf) Hospital (Chouburji Chowk), Dr. Zeenat of Zeenat Medical Laboratory (Pvt) Ltd (34-Lawrance Road), Dr. Irfan-ul-Haq of Haq Orthopedic (18-Sanda Road), Dr. Nayyar Islam Ch of Aadil Hospital (Kareem Park, Ravi Road), Dr. Mehboob Qadar of Al-Khursheed Laboratory (Timber Market, Ravi Road), Dr. Fahmidah Ch of Nawab Hospital (18-C, Timber Market, Ravi Road), Dr. Hasim Raza of Shama Hospital (Bagh Munshi Ladha, Kacha Ravi Road), Dr. Zafarullah Malik of Zinis Lab (241-Riwaz Garden), Qaisar Ameen Butt (Chief Executive) of Bazma Ahbab (78-Moulana Ahmed Ali Road), Dr. M. Lateef of Fatima Memorial Hospital (Shadman), Prof. Dr. Saleem Akhtar of Shadman Hospital (725-Shadman), Dr. A.S Chughtai of Chughtai Lahore Lab (8-Jail Road, Main Gulberg), Dr. Javaid Aslam Bhindar of Ammar Medical Complex (8-Jail Road, Gulberg), Dr. Irshad Ahmed Naveed of Poly Test Lab (729-Shadman), Mumtaz Khan of Labone (5/64-A, Usman Block, New Garden Town), Dr. Amer Waheed of Hi-Tech. Diagnostics (514-A, Faisal Town, Opp Jinnah Hospital), Dr. Sohail Chughtais of Chughtais Lahore Lab (513-, Faisal Town, Opp Jinnah Hospital), Dr. Khalid Mehmood of Citi Lab. & Research Centre (252-A, Maulana Shaukat Ali Road Faisal Town) and Dr. Shahid Raza Bokhari of Bokhari Laboratories (538-A, Maulana Shaukat Ali Road, Faisal Town).
The notices issued to these hospitals read that whereas the District Office Environment Lahore conducted a survey for checking compliance of the Hospital Waste Management Rules 2005 and found that your pathological laboratory/clinic/ hospital was a source of environmental nuisance. It further said that it had been confirmed through the site survey that your pathological laboratory/clinic/hospital was responsible for various Environmental Offences and illegalities as the provisions of the Hospital Waste Management Rules -2005 were not being adopted.
It said that the entity had no license for hazardous waste management, which was prerequisite and mandatory u/s 14 of the Pakistan Environment Protection Act-1997 while no waste management committee and waste management plan/system existed. The letter said that hazardous waste collection, handling and disposal system was not satisfactory and the record maintenance of generation of infectious waste did not exist. The letter further said that house keeping/ hygienic system was not satisfactory and focal person for Hospital waste Management inquires had not been designated.
The letter added that now therefore in exercise of the powers conferred under Section 7 (f) of the Act ibid, you were hereby summoned to explain your position in person or through counsel before the undersigned with submission of written defence on the afore-mentioned allegations. In case of failure, the proceeding shall be initiated against you for violation of section 14 and the Hospital Waste Management Rules 2005 for penalization u/s 17(2) of the Act ibid, the letter concluded.
District Officer (Environment), CDGL Tariq Zaman, talking with The News, said the above mentioned doctors, owners and administrators of these laboratories were issued summons under section 7(f) of the Pakistan Environment Protection Act 1997 which read with the Hospital Waste Management Rules 2005.
He said the campaign was launched after the CDGL received various complaints that majority of the pathological laboratories were not following HWMR 2005. He said the campaign comprised over two parts i.e. issuing of warning notices to those who were not following the rules and, in the second phase, the CDHL would install warning boards outside every pathological laboratory in the city containing complete procedure to dispose of syringes, blood bags and other items. He said numbers of the concerned authorities would also be written on these boards so that the patients could contact them in case they witnessed any irregularity in the prescribed procedure.
Published in Daily The News on Tuesday, June 30, 2009.

Atleast 30 labs violating waste management rules

2009-06-21T05:50:00.000-07:00

By Ali Raza
LAHORE: AS many as 30 pathological laboratories, including those operating in top hospitals of the provincial metropolis, are spreading contagious diseases by violating the Hospital Waste Management Rules (HWMR) 2005.
The Environment Protection Department (EPD) Punjab on Friday launched a massive crackdown on pathological laboratories violating the Hospital Waste Management Rules 2005 meant to regulate disposal of clinical and pathological waste as well as medical equipment such as syringes, blood bags etc. The operation was launched on the directions of EPD Secretary Sajjad Saleem.
EPD sources said that on Friday, eight teams consisting of officials of the EPD and the City District Government Lahore were constituted to visit pathological laboratories to check compliance of HWMR 2005. Sources said teams were directed to check pathological laboratories in big and renowned hospitals in the city, which are mostly in private sector.
On Friday, teams raided various hospitals and private pathological laboratories in the City and found ten laboratories in Allama Iqbal Town violating the rules.
The situation was not different on Jail Road where a large number of private hospitals and pathological laboratories are located. A large number of patients daily visit these hospitals and laboratories but do not know that they may get an infectious disease by only giving a sample of their blood.
Several pathological laboratories operating in the surroundings of Mayo Hospital were also raided and at least four were found disposing of clinical and pathological waste in violation of the HWMR 2005.
On Shalimar Link Road, the EPD and CDGL teams found three pathological laboratories violating the HWMR 2005.
Naseemur Rehman, a senior EPD official said in August 2005, the Federal Ministry of Environment notified Hospital Waste Management Rules and majority of the government hospitals had enforced these rules. He said hospital waste includes infectious material containing pathogens in sufficient concentrations or quantities that, if exposed to humans, can cause diseases. This includes waste from surgery and autopsies on patients with infectious diseases. Other types of wastes are sharps such as disposable needles, syringes, saws, blades, broken glasses, nails or any other item that could cause a cut, tissues, organs, body parts, human flesh, foetuses, blood, body fluids, drugs, chemicals, solids, liquids and gaseous waste contaminated with radioactive substances used in diagnosis and treatment of diseases such as toxic goiter.
He said the EPD started the campaign because there were reports that in most of the private hospitals, clinics and pathological labs especially in middle and poor localities were violating hospital waste management rules.
He said under the Hospital Waste Management Rules, 2005, hazardous waste must be separated from non-hazardous waste at wards, operation theatre, laboratory or any other room in the hospital where waste is generated.
He said the rules clearly mention that all disposable material and medical equipment such as syringes, needles, plastic bottles, drips, blood bags, etc shall be cut or broken so that they can not be used again. He said the above mentioned hospitals were not following this condition. He said according to rules, sharps must be placed in metal or high density plastic containers resistant to penetration and leakage but no such containers or boxes were being used by majority of pathology labs in the City. These containers must be coloured yellow and marked “Danger! Contaminated Sharps” but most of the private hospitals, clinics and labs did not follow this rule.
The HWMR 2005 clearly stated that the chemical waste and waste with high content of mercury or cadmium shall not be incinerated, but shall be placed in chemical resistant containers and sent to specialized treatment facilities. Radioactive waste, which has to be stored to allow decay to background level, shall be placed in waste bags, in a large yellow container or drums. The container or drum shall be labelled showing the radio nuclide’s activity on a given date and the period of storage required and marked “Radioactive Waste” with the radiation symbol. No such arrangement is seen in most of the private hospitals, clinics and pathological labs.
About waste collection, the rules said sanitary staff and sweepers shall, when handling waste, must wear protective clothing at all times including face masks, industrial aprons, leg protectors, industrial boots and disposable or heavy duty gloves. The rules said all waste bags must be labelled before removal, indicating the point of production and contents and after removing a waste bag from a container, it must be cleaned properly.
In most cases, hospital waste is simply mixed with municipal waste in bins at roadsides and disposed off similarly. Some waste is simply buried without any safety measures. Disposable syringes and needles are also not disposed off properly. Many patients, who routinely use syringes at home, also do not know how to dispose them properly. They just throw them in a dustbin or other similar places, because they think that these practices are inexpensive, safe, and easy.
Naseemur Rehman said that the standard practice of hospital waste disposal is dumping it in CDGL containers. He said when waste containing plastics are burnt, dioxin is produced, which can cause cancer, birth defects, decreased psychomotor ability, hearing defects, cognitive defects and behavioural alternations in infants.
He said flies sit on the uncovered piles of rotting garbage. This promotes mechanical transmissions of fatal diseases such as diarrhoea, dysentery, typhoid, hepatitis and cholera. Under moist conditions, mosquitoes transmit many types of infections such as malaria and yellow fever. Similarly, dogs, cats and rats also transmit a variety of diseases, including plague and flea-born fever as they mostly live in and around the refuse. A high tendency of contracting intestinal, parasitic and skin diseases is found in workers engaged in collecting refuse, he maintained.
About the possible action against the above mentioned hospitals or those who would be found guilty of not enforcing the HWMR 2005, he said report on every hospital or lab, which was checked had been sent to the EPD secretary. He said a notice under the environmental would be issued to these hospitals. He said later a second reminder would also be served on hospitals and labs not complying with the directions of the department after which their case would be send to the Environmental Tribunals for legal action. He said the EPD will expand the campaign and it will be spread to all over Punjab in the coming days.
Published in Daily The News on Saturday, June 20, 2009.

Environment budget cut by 50pc

2009-06-21T05:19:00.000-07:00

By Ali Raza
LAHORE: IGNORING the alarming increase in pollution, especially air and water pollution, and demands of the masses for a strategy to cope with the issue, the Punjab government in its budget has reduced annual allocations of the Punjab Environment Department to Rs 500 million, which was 50 per cent less than the previous year’s allocation of Rs 1 billion. The amount will be spent on total 19 schemes, including 11 new schemes and 8 ongoing schemes. Out of Rs 500 million, Rs 343.121 million will be spent on the ongoing schemes and Rs 156.879 million on the new schemes.
Reduction in last year’s allocation in the EPD budget, shows lack of interest of the government, which last year revised the total allocation of Rs 1 billion to Rs 474 million, disabling the department to complete its schemes.
It is pertinent to mention here that during the year 2008-09, the EPD also failed in achieving various targets such as the department only completed 20 per cent monitoring of surface water bodies in the province. Out of the total target of establishing environmental laboratories in six districts of the province, the EPD only completed 40 per cent of the task.
This year the government’s vision is to attain sustainable development through integration of economic and environmental considerations for which the policy framework included implementation of the Pakistan Environmental Protection Act (PEPA), 1997, and National Environmental Quality Standards (NEQS) in the province.
Under the new policy, the government has directed the EPD authorities to increase environmental awareness among the masses, collaborate with the NGOs/CBOs for undertaking environment-related projects, review of the IEE/EIA and issuance of environmental approvals and conducting campaigns against smoke and noise-emitting vehicles. The environmental policy for the year 2009-10 also focused on the promotion of research and development in pollution prevention and environmental improvement, monitoring industrial and municipal wastes, encouraging sustainable development, provision of information on environment-friendly technologies and coordinating with the federal and provincial governments on environmental issues, policies and laws.
The new projects of the EPD included establishment of the environmental resource centre costing Rs 3 million and environmental information centre and upgrade of the EPA Library at the cost of Rs 10 million, pilot project for introduction of solar energy at grassroots level (Rs 34.505 million), designing and fabrication of pollution control units in selected industries, including cotton engineering, poultry protein feeds, pulp and paper and re-rolling mills (Rs 6 million), feasibility study for introducing environmental-friendly technologies in brick kilns (Rs 2 million), strengthening field staff for environmental monitoring and compliance (Rs 80 million), capacity building of stakeholders for mitigating climate change impacts and earning money from carbon funds (Rs 10 million) and introducing management and legal discipline to improve service delivery (Rs 11.374 million).
According to the budget allocations 2009-10 for the ongoing schemes, the government allocated Rs 9.820 million for monitoring of surface water bodies, Rs 5.390 million for monitoring and propagation of measures to mitigate arsenic and fluoride in drinking water, Rs 123.100 million for establishment of environmental laboratories in Sialkot, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Multan and Rahimyar Khan, Rs 5.960 million for provision of field monitoring kits to inspectors and establishment of mobile squads in three major cities, Rs 25.050 million for sensitisation of public through environment education, Rs 0.743 million for establishment of environmental clubs in public and private schools, Rs 56.580 million for regulatory control on environmental degradation through capacity building of the EPA, Rs 3.338 million for collaboration with educational institutions for development of indigenous technologies, Rs 80 million for development of biodiversity parks in collaboration with city district governments and business community and Rs 17.750 million for capacity building of provincial departments in environmental management through training in the IEE/EIA, EA and LCA. This included hiring of experts in relevant field for environmental protection, promotion and rehabilitation, recruitment of staff and arrangement of necessary material.
Publiched in Daily The News, Lahore on June 17, 2009.

Air of big cities unhealthy

2009-06-12T03:11:00.000-07:00

By Ali Raza

LAHORE: The air quality of the federal capital and two provincial capitals i.e. Lahore and Karachi is unhealthy for the citizens, revealed Economic Survey of Pakistan (ESP) here Thursday.
It is pertinent to mention here that there is no system of checking air quality of the rest of the cities in the country on regular basis. Mobile air monitoring stations are sent to specific areas in case of a need, which is not a proper solution and can not give the exact picture of the air quality of the other cities.
The ESP stated sustainable development is the cornerstone of all efforts by the government, therefore, concern for environment- its protection, renewal and enrichment - has been reckoned as obligation towards the betterment of all the citizens at large.
According to EPA, Pakistan, common gases emitted by vehicles include carbon monoxide, nitrous oxides and ozone, all dangerous to human health beyond certain levels of concentration. According to the World Wide Fund (WWF) fact sheet, major air pollutants include: suspended particulate matter, volatile organic compounds, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulphur oxides, sulphur dioxide, lead & other heavy metals, ground level ozone and fuel wood.
The sources of air pollution have been highlighted as motor vehicles, industry, municipal solid waste, smog and medical waste.
Poly-aromatic hydrocarbons released by diesel-powered vehicles are known carcinogens, while smoke from diesel engines has aggravated already elevated levels of airborne soot, it said. Nitrous oxides are emerging air pollutants with the highest concentrations recorded in Karachi, followed by Lahore, Quetta, Peshawar, and Islamabad. Industries located in urban areas are the main source of sulfur dioxide (dangerous to human, animal, and plant life) while brick kilns powered by low-grade coal are notable sources of soot.
According to the data mentioned in the ESP, 2.5 is the standard of Particulate Matter (PM) in the air, which is within the safe limits. It said in the federal capital the PM level was 166, which falls in the category of unhealthy. The same is the case of Lahore, the provincial capital of Punjab where the PM level was also recorded as 166 through Mobile station at hockey stadium. The PM level in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh, was 101 and it falls in the category of unhealthy for sensitive group.
The ESP also quoted the World Bank�s report 2006 according to which an estimated 35 percent of Pakistan�s population living in cities. A substantial body of research demonstrates that high concentrations of suspended particulates in urban areas adversely affect human health, provoking a wide range of respiratory diseases and heart ailments. Given the lack of enforcement of motor vehicle fitness regulations, the increase in air pollution from vehicle population alone could be alarming.
The problem is compounded by the fact that the average life of vehicles in use in the country is quite long. As a result, vehicles in Pakistan are estimated to emit 25 times the amount of carbon monoxide, 20 times the amount of hydrocarbons and 3.6 times the amount of nitrous oxide of an average vehicle in the United States.
Though many cities are adversely affected, air quality monitoring is restricted to the six major cities of Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar, Quetta and Rawalpindi. Ambient concentrations of particulates in these cities lie consistently above the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, and are on average two to four times the recommended levels. It said that studies conducted in Lahore and Karachi, the two largest cities; suggest that carbon monoxide, cadmium and lead levels, in particular, may exceed thresholds recommended by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA).
The ESP said that it was encouraging to note that the government had been quite successful in taking preventive measures to curb the emission of poisonousgases. It said Pakistan had become the largest user of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) in the world, as per the statistics issued by the International Association of Natural Gas Vehicles (IANGV). Presently, more than 2 million vehicles are using CNG as fuel and 2,760 CNG stations are operational in different parts of the country (as on April 2009).
The CNG used as has grown substantially in the transport sector, replacing traditional fuels while greatly reducing the pollution load in many urban centers. As a result, Pakistan has the largest fleet of vehicles running on CNG in South Asia, and is third worldwide after Argentina and Brazil.
The latest statistics collected by the Ministry of Environment (MoEnv) suggested that the use of coal in power sector has persistently shown a decreasing trend during the last five years. This has mainly been caused by the conversion of a number of plants to natural gas. Likewise, there has been a considerable reduction in coal usage for domestic purposes.
The use of biomass fuels in unventilated rooms has been identified as the primary cause of indoor air pollution, particularly in rural areas. Women and children are the most affected by it as they are more exposed and vulnerable to smoke inhalation. It said according to a report of the ADB, about 86 percent of rural households and 32 percent of urban households use biomass fuels for cooking purposes.
The ESP said that the GoP had ensured implementation of an Environmental Monitoring System (EMS) to monitor the air quality at both Federal and four Provincial Capitals to help in managing the ever deteriorating air quality in major cities. The government has also given a road map for introducing Euro-II compliant vehicles in the country under the given road map. The Euro-II compliant Petrol Vehicles shall be introduced from 1st July, 2009.
The ESP also linked the environmental degradation with the poverty because of the overwhelming dependence of the poor on natural resources for their livelihoods - whether agriculture, forestry, fisheries and hunting etc. Poverty combined with a burgeoning population and rapid urbanization, is leading to intense pressures on the environment.
It also stated that country�s natural resources are increasingly under stress due to rapid population growth and environmentally unsustainable practices and collective estimated environmental degradation costs the country at least 6 percent of GDP or about Rs. 365 billion per year, and these costs fall disproportionately upon the poor.
The most significant causes of environmental damage include illness and premature mortality caused by air pollution (indoor and outdoor), (almost 50 percent of the total damage cost); Diarrhea diseases and typhoid due to inadequate water supply, sanitation and hygiene (about 30 percent of the total), and Reduced agricultural productivity due to soil degradation (about 20 percent of the total) development concern.
The government of Pakistan has also declared 2009 as the National Year of Environment, which shows that the government is considering the environment as important as any other sector.
Published in Daily The News, Lahore on June 12, 2009

Pollution in air on the rise

2009-05-08T03:22:00.000-07:00

By Ali Raza
LAHORE: The presence of various air pollutants in the provincial capital continue to pose serious threat to the health of general public as the measures taken so far by the authorities concerned are either ineffective or unimplemented.
The main source of air pollution in the provincial metropolis is vehicular traffic and its level is much more than the World Health Organization (WHO) standards. As per the WHOís standards the level of Particulate Matters (PM 2.5) should not be more than 40 ug/m3 (24 hrs) but at various spots in Lahore, this level is crossing the figure of 115.
Likewise, the noise pollution at any commercial place the noise level should not increase 70 debacles where as at various important crossings this level has crossed the limit of 90 debacles.
Environmentalists believed that Particulate Matter (PM) is the key to monitor air pollution in every city and in Lahore this level has reach dangerous level. PM 2.5 is a complex mixture of extremely small particles and liquid droplets. Particle pollution is made up of a number of components, including acids (such as nitrates and sulfates), organic chemicals, metals, and soil or dust particles. The size of particles is directly linked to their potential for causing health problems. Once inhaled, these particles can affect the heart and lungs.
According to the figures of the Punjab Environment Protection Department (EPD), the level of PM 2.5 in January was 135 at the Town Hall and 68 at Gulberg while on May 04, 2009 it was recorded as 119 at Town Hall and 40 in Gulberg area. Environmentalists said that besides warming up the atmosphere, PM 2.5 reduces visibility.
Senior EPD officials said other major pollutants present in the air are Ozone (O3), Sulfur Dioxide, Nitrogen Dioxide, Carbon Monooxide and Particulate Matters (PM). The data showed that the level of NOx was recorded as 110 and 58 at Town Hall and Gulberg on May 04, 2009 whereas according to the WHO standards it should not exceed 80 ug/m3.
The WHO standard of NOx is 40 whereas at Township the level of NOx was 81, at Town Hall it was 107 and at Gulberg it was 40 on January 05, 2009 while on may 04, 2009 the level was 65, 110 and 58 respectively.
EPD officials said NOx, is the generic term for a group of highly reactive gases, all of which contain nitrogen and oxygen in varying amounts. They said NOx is formed when fuel is burned at high temperatures and its primary sources are motor vehicles, electric utilities, and other industrial, commercial, and residential sources that burn fuels.
They said NOx and the pollutants formed from NOx can be transported over long distances with winds. This means that problems associated with NOx are not confined to areas where NOx are emitted. They said NOx causes a wide variety of health and environmental impacts because of various compounds and derivatives in the family of nitrogen oxides, including nitrogen dioxide, nitric acid, nitrous oxide, nitrates, and nitric oxide.
For Ozone, the WHO standard is 100 while in Township the level was found reaching 155, at Town Hall it was 148 and in Gulberg it was 162 on May 4, 2009 whereas on January 05, 2009 it was recorded as 201, 210 and 185 respectively. Experts said Ozone (O3) is a gas composed of three oxygen atoms. It is not usually emitted directly into the air, but at ground-level was created by a chemical reaction between oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOC) in the presence of sunlight. Ozone has the same chemical structure whether it occurs miles above the earth but in the lower atmosphere, ground-level ozone was considered very dangerous. They said motor vehicle exhausts and industrial emissions, gasoline vapors, and chemical solvents as well as natural sources emit NOx and VOC that help in forming ground level Ozone layer.
Following the increased levels of air pollution, majority of the commuters travelling on the city roads are facing difficulty in breathing, eye burning and nausea. Besides this the residents of adjoining localities also suffers from the air pollution, which has become a major source of asthma, lungs infection and blood pressure. Air pollution also accounts for several other diseases of brain and heart.
According to the City District Government Lahore (CDGL) Environment Department, two-stroke rickshaws and motorcycle-rickshaws are causing 65 percent of the total vehicular pollution while diesel buses and wagons are responsible for another 15 percent.
It is pertinent to mention here that the Lahore High Court has already imposed a complete ban on the movement of two stroke rickshaws in the provincial capital but the vehicles are plying on city roads. Though the CDGL banned entry of two stroke rickshaws on various city roads, the residents declared this measure ineffective and urged the Chief Minister Punjab to show a political will to ban these air polluters to save lives of millions.
Tariq Zaman, District Officer Environment CDGL while talking with The News said most vehicles did not meet the international environment protection standards. He said the ratio of un-burnt fuel emitted from two-stroke engines is very high. He said the government was strictly monitoring the situation and had taken several measures to control air pollution, especially vehicular pollution.
He said on the directions of the Punjab government, the CDGL had already planned a complete phasing out of two stroke rickshaws from the city. He said about 25000 new four-stroke CNG rickshaw had been introduced in the city while new CNG busses were also coming in the city.
The CDGL has also launched various crackdowns on air polluting industrial units operating in various city localities, he said. As many as eight steel mills were sealed while 28 cases were lodged against the polluters, he concluded.
Published in Daily The News on Friday, May 08, 2009.

Case against CDGL, EPD officials for confiscating generator

2009-05-06T05:27:00.000-07:00

By Ali Raza
LAHORE: GHALIB Market police have registered a case against the officials of the City District Government, Lahore, and the Environment Protection Department, who had raided a house and confiscated a generator.
According to details, the EPD of the CDGL had received a complaint from Ms Imtiaz, a resident of Gulberg III, that her neighbours, residents of House 292-A-1, had installed a big generator due to which her family was facing serious problems of noise and air pollution.
Following the complaint, the officials sent a notice to the residents of the said house and directed them to appear before the DDO Environment. The officials said none of the house representatives appeared in the DDO office on the said date after which another notice was served on the residents. They said after the passing of the due date, a team of officials and the field inspector concerned visited the house on April 29, 2009, and tried to serve notice on the residents but they refused to take it and allegedly tore the notice apart and misbehaved with the officials. Following the situation, the team confiscated the generator under Section 148-B of the Punjab Local Government Law and also submitted an application against the residents in Ghalib Market police station and a case was registered.
However, Ghalib Market police, later, registered a theft and trespassing case (362/09) against officials of the EPD of the CDGL on the complaint of Ms Huma Saeed, resident of the said house. She pleaded that the team broke into her house without any authority and took away the generator.
The SP Model Town, when contacted, said the fault lied with the EPD officials as they had no right to enter the house. He said the case registered by Ghalib Market police on the complaint of the government officials was not right because a senior official inquired into the matter and concluded that the residents did not misbehave with the team.
The SP said the house residents went to the Chief Minister’s House at 180-H Model Town to get their case registered against the officials of the EPD of the CDGL. However, he Town failed to answer the question as why Ghalib Market police had registered a theft case against the officials concerned and got the generator back from the Town Hall office of EPD of the CDGL.
A senior official of the EPD, the CDGL, said the department could not take action against the polluters if it continued to face such threats and blackmailing tactics. He said the generator was sealed as per law and in the presence of police as well as the local residents. He said the department had already served a notice to the residents of 293-A-1, Gulberg III, for installing a 100KVA generator but they did not bother to come to the department to face the issue.
District Officer (Environment) Tariq Zaman said the DCO, Lahore, had already constituted a committee to investigate the issue. He said action would be taken against the law breakers. A spokesman for the EPD said that the EPD secretary had also asked the Director North to inquire into the issue.
Meanwhile, environmentalists said the majority of generator users had not installed silencers on their generators, besides they were using diesel engines. Generators are also installed outside business establishments, banks, offices, shops, markets and etc, which increased air pollution in the city.
On the other hand, the rules and regulations of Environment Protection Department are not clear regarding installation of generators at homes or for any other small scale use.
The rules only cover commercial and industrial sectors and such consumers were bound to get a no objection certificate from the department.
Talking about the issue, a senior official of the EPD said the department had already directed the telecommunication companies installing BTS Towers in the province to give priority to the uninterruptible power supply system at their sites.
He said the second priority was gas generators and the diesel generators were the last choice. In case of a diesel generator, the company was bound to install silencer and other equipments on the generator to control its sound as well as emissions, he said.
Another official of the EPD said the noise released from generators should not be more than 70 decibels. Talking about the public complaints, he said the department could take action in case it received a complaint. He said an EPD team could conduct a survey of the premises and gauge the levels of noise and air emissions and in case of a violation the generator could be sealed.
Published in Daily The News on Wednesday, May 06, 2009.

Marble-cutting units polluting many areas

2009-05-06T05:22:00.000-07:00

By Ali Raza
LAHORE: MORE than 500 marble-cutting units are polluting populous residential localities of the provincial metropolis while many units are working in and around the newly established residential schemes where construction of houses is going on.
Sources in the Environment Protection Department (EPD) said the marble-cutting units are causing environmental degradation by emitting marble dust and noise, besides they are also affecting traffic flow on various roads.
Marble dust, noise pollution and vibration are the major environmental problems the marble cutters are causing in the city. Environmental experts believe that all the three types of pollutions are very dangerous for the human population. They say marble dust is injurious to humans, especially children, as it causes asthma, choking of breath and many other diseases related to lungs while it can also affect eyesight.
Sources in the Environment Protection Department said majority of the marble-cutting units were operating on the Ferozpur Road near Ichhra and after being declared a cottage industry some years back, marble-cutting had now changed into a full-fledged industry.
The EPD sources said on the Ferozpur Road alone, over 300 marble cutters were operating openly and many had installed small units in the residential localities adjacent to the main road.
Experts said marble cutters released a continuous noise and vibration in the surrounding areas, which were dangerous for residents.
Noise could damage the hearing of people while continuous vibration could result into stress on nerves, they said, adding that vibration also affected the basic foundation of the nearby houses, which might collapse.
The sources said a number of marble cutters were also working on the Wahdat Road, Johar Town, and the College Road, Township, causing the abovementioned problems in the localities. In the Johar Town and Township areas, many marble-cutting units were installed at empty plots and they used to through residue of marble in nearby drains, which also resulted in chocking of drainage and sewage, they added.
The EPD sources revealed that in November 2007, the department decided to relocate all the marble-cutting units outside the provincial metropolis and it directed the district officer (Environment) to furnish a report regarding each unit functioning within residential/commercial areas.
In this connection, written instructions had been conveyed to the quarters concerned, they said, adding that in February 2008, the City District Government, Lahore, served final notices to some 600 marble cutters to shift their setups from residential areas to the outskirts of the city or to industrial estates. A senior official of the EPD said the CDGL had planned to shift marble cutters in different phases and in the first phase the marble cutters operating on the Ferozpur Road would be shifted outside the city. He said the CDGL was already working with the association of marble cutters over the issue, adding that the units would either be shifted to Shahdara or to the Raiwind Road.
He said some times back, the department had proposed shifting of all the marble-cutting units to the Sunder Industrial Estate but the proposal was rejected as there was no zone available for marble industry in the industrial estate. About taking action against marble cutters, dumping liquid waste in empty plots, he said the CDGL had fined many such violators and would continue doing so.
Talking about the issue, EPD Secretary Sajad Saleem Hotiyana said he had recently directed the department to conduct a detail survey regarding the issue and submit a comprehensive report to him within the next few days. He said the department would listen to the views of both the residents and marble cutters during the survey.
Published in Daily The News on Wednesday, May 06, 2009.

Untreated waste into River Chenab

2009-02-25T03:46:00.000-08:00

Ravi threatens aquatic life, groundwater

2009-02-18T04:51:00.000-08:00

By Ali Raza
LAHORE: OXYGEN level required for stable aquatic life has alarmingly reduced in the Ravi River endangering native fish species besides posing a grave threat to the aquatic life and underground water level.
This was revealed in the latest study conducted by Environment Protection Department (EPD) during November 2008-January 2009. The study was also presented to the Punjab Chief Minister by the department recently. The study said that at various points oxygen level in the river was too low to support aquatic life.
According to the latest study, ten sewage drains and pumping stations and five industrial wastewater carrying drains are throwing 1,810 cusecs municipal sewage and toxic industrial effluents into the river.
According to international standards, the level of Biological Official Demand (BOD) in river water should be 80 mg/l whereas the level of BOD in the water of ten sewage drains and pumping stations ranges between 129 mg/l to 430 mg/l. Likewise the BOD in the water of five drains throwing toxic industrial waste in river Ravi ranged between 24 mg/l to 360 mg/l.
Having a total length of 422 miles in Punjab and an average discharge of around 0.94 Million Acre Feet (MAF), Ravi River, during the last many years, has turned into a dumping ground for municipal as well as industrial sewage, resulting in an end to several native fish species besides posing a serious threat to the remaining aquatic life and under ground water level.
River Ravi enters Pakistan at Kot Nainan and joins River Chenab at Sardar Pur, Khanewal, which is some 422 miles. In winter season the average water discharge of the river was around 0.54 MAF and in summer it is around 0.94 MAF.
Ten drains throwing municipal waste are Mehmood Booti Drain (1 cusecs in which BOD level is 250 mg/l), Sukh Naher Drain (80 cusecs in which BOD level is 120 mg/l), Shadbagh Drain (200 cusecs in which BOD level is 192 mg/l), Shahdara Town Pumping Station (35 cusecs in which BOD level is 140 mg/l), Forest Colony pumping Station (25 cusecs in which BOD level is 200 mg/l), Furakhabad Drain (40 cusecs in which BOD level is 382 mg/l), Budha Ravi (56 cusecs in which BOD level is 430 mg/l), Main Out Fall Drain (102 cusecs in which BOD level is 412 mg/l), Gulshan-e-Ravi Drain (89 cusecs in which BOD level is 395 mg/l) and Babu Sabu Drain (72 cusecs in which BOD level is 312 mg/l).
The industrial-cum sewage carrying drains dumping toxic waste water in Ravi River are Hudiyara Drain (512 cusecs in which BOD level is 120 mg/l), Deg Nullah, Faisalabad (100 cusecs in which BOD level is 360 mg/l), Samundry Drain, Faisalabad (400 cusecs in which BOD level is 66 mg/l), Sukhrawa Drain, Sahiwal (53 cusecs in which BOD level is 36 mg/l) and Gojra Drain, TT Singh (45 cusecs in which BOD level is 24 mg/l).
Besides the municipal and industrial drains, five irrigation canals are also releasing water in Ravi. These canals are Marala Ravi link Canal (BOD level is 3.6mg/l), Upper Chenab Canal (5,570 cusecs in which BOD level is 168 mg/l), QB Link Canal (14,500 cusecs in which BOD level is 2.4 mg/l), Trimu Sidhnai Link canal (2,000 cusecs in which BOD level is 6.8 mg/l) and Haveli Main Line canal (3,600 cusecs in which BOD level is 3.4 mg/l). The report revealed that in Lahore, the Main Outfall and Shadbagh drains are most polluted drains throwing municipal waste in the river while Hudiyara drain is the most polluted drain throwing industrial sewage in the river.
About the level of dissolved oxygen in river Ravi, the report said that near new bridge Lahore the oxygen level in the river is too low to support aquatic life and in Sharakpur and Morekhunda, the river’s dissolved oxygen level depleted significantly rendering it unfit to support aquatic life.
Naseemur Rehman, a senior EPD official revealed that following the rising pollution in the river, the EPD has filed a complaint in Environmental Protection Tribunal (EPT), Lahore against WASA on account of discharging untreated sewage into the river causing water pollution. The WASA had submitted an undertaking in the court for establishment of wastewater/sewage treatment plants for which they have acquired land and PC-1 has been forwarded to P&D Department for approval.
He said LDA has also proposed six sewage treatment plants in Lahore’s Master Plan for which funding is being awaited. These treatment plants are identified on Mian Mir Drain (Rs 4,116 million), Hadiyara Drain (Rs 2,058 million), Shadbagh Drain (Rs 2,744 million), Suckh Nahar (Rs 2,766 million), Sattokatla Drain (Rs 1,070 million) and Farukhabad Drain, Shahdara (Rs 1,194 million).
Published in Daily The News on Tuesday, February 17, 2009.

EPD started inquiry against Cement plant

2009-02-16T01:21:00.000-08:00

By Ali Raza
LAHORE: Environmental Protection Department (EPD), Punjab has initiated an inquiry against one of the biggest cement brands in the country for allegedly creating water scarcity in the beautiful valley of Kahoon, endangering lives of local residents as well as danger to local flora and fauna.
Kahoon valley is a beautiful valley in Pakistan and it covers the belt of Kalar Kahar till Choa Saidain Shah. Sources in the department revealed that in September 2008, the department received a complaint from local residents who claimed that the renowned brand cement factory was extracting water from public points, which was a clear violation of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report of this factory. They further claimed that in the EIA, the EPD has allowed the factory to withdraw water from Malkana site whereas in actual the factory was drawing water from public points in Waan and Chak Khoshi.
They stated that this was creating grave problems of water scarcity for the locals because it was a Barani area and locals used to store water in ponds especially in spring season to meet their annual needs. They added that besides this local flora and fauna also thrives on rain water as well as the human made ponds and the stored water was also used for agriculture purposes.
Following the complaint, Director North, EPA Punjab asked Assistant Director (R&I) EPD to conduct a site inspection to ascertain the authenticity of the allegations leveled by the complainant against the cement factory. He forwarded the matter to District Officer Environment, Chakwal vide letter number 3533-DD(R&I)/EPA Punjab, Lahore dated 29-09-2008.
The DO (Environment), Chakwal vide letter number 39-43/DOE/CKL/2009 sent his site inspection report on January 14, 2009. In his report, he said on southern side of the plant there was a lime stone quarry site of the said factory and a beautiful valley known as Waan having indigenous flora and fauna. Phulai, Kau, Santha, locaat, Beer are the famous flora of the valley whereas Cape hare, Wolf, Jungle Cat, Grey Partridge, Chukar Partridge, Black Partridge, Rock Pigeon and Peacocks are the famous fauna of this valley. He said this valley was also a grazing field for cows, sheep and goats and the prosperity of the areas depends on this fertile valley.
He said the cement factory in its EIA report, has mentioned and agreed to fulfill water needs from Malkana site. He said during the site inspection, he found that the factory was extracting water from the points/springs allocated for public use only in Waan and from Chak Khoshi. "It is therefore creating grave problems of water scarcity for the locals as these springs are of particularly important for the local population because they depend on these for their irrigation as well as domestic needs," DO (Environment) revealed in his report. He said that the massive extraction of water for the industry has already created water shortages in the area and depleted the water resources in the Waan area and added that the withdrawl will further worsen the situation.
He, in the report, again claimed that likewise at Chak Khushi site, the cement factory has established their pumping station near water supply schemes for different villages. He said it was worth mentioning that there was no river, canals or dams existed in the valley and the area was lacking water resources naturally. The source of recharge of underground water depends on rain and massive extraction of water causes serious shortage of water in the area, he maintained.
It was established during the site survey that the cement factory has deviated from EIA commitment, which was a threat to bio diversity and flora and fauna, he said and recommended action against the cement factory under Environmental Act 1997.
Following the site inspection report of DO (Environment), Chakwal, the Assistant Director (R&I), EPA vide letter number 296-DD(R&I)/EPA sent a 'most urgent' letter to the Deputy Director (EIA) to give technical comments on the allegations leveled against by the complaint and the DO (Environment) through its Site Inspection Report.
Deputy Director (EIA) said he has received the letter and it was under technical examinations. He said a report will soon be sent to the Director (North), EPD with technical comments and further recommendations.
When contacted Chairman All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association (APCMA) Maj Gen (Retd) Rehmat Khan said that three cement plants were working in the above mentioned area and all of them are environmental friendly. Commenting over a question regarding the depleting water resources of the area and use of water by the specific cement factory from public areas, he said he did not know from where the factory was getting water.
The News also tried to get version of the owners of the factory as well as the factory management but none of them were available for comments. The scribe also called at the factory's telephone numbers 0543-650215-18 but no body picked up the phones. The scribe then called at the home (042-5757512) of the cement plant owners and left a message regarding the story but no one has called back till filing of this report.
Story is published in Daily The News on 16 Feb 2009 on page 3.

Pollution decaying Royal Mosque and Lahore Fort

2008-12-17T04:45:00.000-08:00

By Ali Raza
LAHORE: Extraordinary delay in shifting of Badami Bagh bus and truck stands out of the provincial capital is seriously damaging the historical monuments of Lahore Fort and Badshahi Mosque as air pollution is increasing in the vicinity.
Sources in Environment Protection Department (EPD) revealed that the department had already proposed the CDGL to shift these stands from outside the city to save the monuments as well as the city from the hazardous effects of air and noise pollution levels.
Sources added that the department has already served several reminders to the CDGL but so far the CDGL authorities are not seen interested to take up this matter. Sources claimed that so far the CDGL has no plans to shift these bus and truck stands from outside the city.
The DCO Lahore, when contacted, also said that shifting of Badami Bagh Bus and truck stands from outside the city are not on the priority list of the City government. “We have to resolve many other and important issues like price hike, encroachments, provision of sanitary facilities, construction of roads and etc,” the DCO concluded.
Due to the round the clock activity at these bus and truck stands in Badami Bagh area, the level of air and noise pollution are continuously increasing in the provincial metropolis affecting hundred of thousands of people of the surrounding localities as well as the commuters.
The rising pollution levels are also posing a serious threat to the historical monuments of the Lahore Fort and Badshahi Mosque and the experts believed that the pollution in this area is also leaving its impact on the structure of Minar-e-Pakistan.
Sources in CDGL revealed that after the objections of EPD, the CDGL procured land near Sagian Bridge but later they decided to construct a scientific landfill site at the land. Later on the CDGL authorities changed its plans and decided to install a power generating unit from waste at that site.
Environmentalists now are blaming the CDGL for not taking concrete measures to end pollution in the city and said that lack of will and determined effort by the CDGL authorities is needed to counter pollution.
They said Lahore Fort is the country's premier world heritage site built by Mughals in 1560s and its special features are Shish Mahal, (Palace of Mirrors), Diwan-e-Aam (Court for the Commons), lawns, old wells and Hathi Paer (Steps for Elephants) as well as museums of Mughals and Sikhs.
They said that according to the Federal Antiquities Act 1975 of the government of Pakistan, a 200 feet buffer zone be maintain around the major sites of cultural heritage but in the case of Lahore Fort this rule is either relaxed or not applicable as there is a Rim market and parking stands of all kind of commercial vehicles including trucks, wagons and busses around the fort. Other light industry and steel industry is also operating around the fort. They believed that the Lahore Fort is facing serious environmental problems.
Experts said that a recent report of Director General of Archaeology, Punjab claimed that pollution, dust and vibration caused by heavy traffic are directly affecting the fort especially its outer walls. They said the report maintained that the Rim Market existing along Fort Road on the east of the Fort is also contributing to the air and noise pollution besides it falls within the buffer zone of Lahore Fort. The report further maintained that due to the lack of visitor toilet around Lahore Fort and Hazuri Bagh the open areas are used as public facilities.
The experts also said that a large number of vehicles especially commuter vans, buses and goods transportation vehicles are being parked around the monument while a traffic mess is always seen at Azadi Chowk and Haider Sain Chowk resulting in continuous vibration and air pollution.
A number of steel furnaces are operating around the fort and are polluting the air, said officials of CDG adding majority of these are not following any environmental control rules and only a few have installed devices to control emission of gases and particulate matter. Another major air pollutant is burning of waste by CDG near Sagian Bridge. Lack of plantation in the fort as well as the adjacent Iqbat Park is also one of the cause for increasing air pollution.
A senior official of CDGL said the revenue department has completed the survey around the fort for establishing the buffer zone. About the shifting of Rim Market, he said notices were issued to all the shops and they will be shifted very soon.
To minimize the vehicular pollution, he said the CDGL has planning to shift commercial vehicles from this site and a new terminal will be constructed for the purpose very soon but this will take about two to three years after which this problem will be solved

Guest In Town

2008-12-17T04:37:00.000-08:00

An exclusive interview with Dr Professor Iftikhar Ahmed. He is an Environmentalist & Botanical Garden Consultant, University of California, USA and is visiting Pakistan.

By Ali Raza

LAHORE: Biodiversity of provincial capital is rapidly fading away due to increasing pollution and if the government did not take any immediate measures such as massive plantations in and around the city, the situation will become worse.

“If the situation remains the same for the next five or more years, the minimum disease Lahorities encounter with will be different types of cancer,” said Dr Iftikhar Ahmed, Environmentalist & Botanical Garden Consultant, University of California, USA in an interview here Monday. He came to Pakistan to spend Eid-ul-Azha with his family and was flying back to USA after two or three days.

Talking about the degrading environment of the city, Dr Iftikhar said since he came to Pakistan before Eid, he has not seen a clear sky. He said the situation is very dangerous and the government should take some practical steps to control the increasing pollution levels.

“Cutting trees for development work and road expansions are the major causes disturbing the biodiversity of our beautiful city,” he said adding biodiversity was the sum of all living organisms on the planet. He said cutting of trees disturb the ecological system and its implications could be quite serious. “By extinguishing biodiversity, we risk our own quality of life, gamble with the stability of climate and local weather, threaten the existence of other species, and undermine the valuable services provided by biological diversity,” he said.

Giving an immediate solution, Dr Iftikhar suggested the government to start planting Eucalyptus trees in the barren lands around the city while in the city the government should plant local species especially on green belts, open spaces at road crossings and public parks. He said local community should also be engaged in tree plantation in and around their homes and residential streets. This will give a better look to the residential localities besides protecting the environment.

He said another way is to protect environment is engaging the children and students in environmental and botanical activities at community level. Establishment of small botanical gardens with the help of students will help in creating awareness among the youth besides development of a soft corner for plants in their hearts.

Talking about the botanical gardens, he said first of the botanical gardens of modern times was created in 1543 at Pisa, Italy. However, there were gardens in earlier civilizations the served purposes other than pleasure and could therefore be thought of as botanical gardens.

He said with the passage of time the botanical gardens rapidly lost their character of small herb gardens and became bigger and bigger large arboreta were planted and many botanical gardens were established at the different universities in different countries of the world.

There are several kinds of botanical gardens, he said adding a state owned botanical gardens where they conduct research and experiments on various species, University botanical gardens were used for studies and experiments, City council public gardens also consider as botanical garden and privately owned botanical garden & nurseries, which were developed by individual with their own funds on their own lands or on the lease lands. These types of botanical gardens are very useful for the general public as well as students, gardeners and also very helpful for the local environment.

A great example of a private botanic garden & arboreta in Lahore is Mian Brothers Nursery & Arboretum located at Model Town, Ferozpur Road and was established in 1945, he said adding Mian Brothers Nursery & Botanic Garden & Arboretum is also affiliated with many botanical gardens, Universities in Europe & UK and USA. The garden was developed by Mian Mohammad Latif (late) and his late son Mian Bilal Ahmed. Mian Mohammad Latif was an agriculturist and very keen gardener who has been working as gardener in GOR Bahawalpur house where he planted many trees as well as along the Lahore canal.

“As a professional in this respected field, we are the California State University Chico Environmental Sciences department considering to develop an environmental sciences and horticulture institute in Mian Brothers Nursery & Botanic garden & Arboretum and our opinion is that this place is an ideal place for this respectful purpose and we will not destroy a single tree or plant during the establishment of environment sciences and horticulture institute,” he maintained.

Dr Iftikhar revealed that in USA many Pakistanis are also ready to help and raise funds for this environment sciences and horticulture institute. The education standard of this institute will be totally of USA University level, and we will design a special educational program for local kids and house wives as well as handicap and retired people and this program will be free of charge.

“We will offer full time gardening and plantsmanship 1 year and 2 year practical training courses, which will be free and also, will offer stipends. These stipends will offer to the people who are unemployed and after the completion of this course they can work as a gardeners. This program will help the local community to find best gardeners and also decrease the unemployment,” he said adding the environment sciences and horticulture institute will also offer undergraduate and graduate degrees.

He said he wanted to ask the authorities a question that “A family who has been working all their lives and spent all their money and assets and lives to develop such a wonderful place in the region and what they got in response?” He said three other professors of California University came with him and were shocked what had happened at the nursery and went back. “If we did not show the foreigners how much we care for our environment then how could we ask them to invest in this field in our country,” he concluded.

Published in Daily The News on December 17, 2008

EPD all set to check hospital waste disposal

2008-11-23T05:53:00.000-08:00

By Ali Raza
LAHORE: THE Environment Protection Department (EPD), Punjab, is going to start the registration of all big and small hospitals, medical centers, clinics, pathology laboratories and other health related businesses to counter the rising complaints of improper disposal of hospital waste and its hazardous effects on environment and the health of citizens.
EPD sources said next week the department would start an advertisement campaign in the newspapers directing all the big and small hospitals, medical centers, clinics, pathology laboratories and other health related businesses across the city to get clearance certificates from the department regarding the safe disposal of hospital waste.
All the big and small hospitals, medical centers, clinics, pathology laboratories and other health related businesses will have to submit the way they have adopted to dispose of hospital waste, especially the municipal, liquid and septic waste generated by them. These big and small hospitals, medical centers, clinics, pathology laboratories and other health related businesses should get the membership of the collection system of the government for disposing of the hazardous hospital waste safely.
In case, any big and small hospital, medical center, clinic, pathology laboratory or any other health related business fails to get the certificate, the department will serve it a notice and ask it to comply with the Hospital Waste Management Rules 2005, sources said. They added that a second reminder would also be served to them in case of noncompliance their case would be send to the Environmental Tribunals for legal action.
EPD officials said that the move was initiated by Chief Minister’s Task Force on Environment chairman Dr Awais Farooqi recently. They said Dr Farooqi had also started visiting different city hospitals to witness the gravity of the situation. They said the Chief Minister’s Task Force on Environment chairman had also called a meeting of the departments concerned including the Environment Protection Department (EPD) and the Punjab Health Department to discuss the issue. They said the meeting would take place in the coming week.
Officials said Dr Farooqi had also taken a strong note of the ongoing business of sale and purchase of hospital waste in the provincial capital and directed the department concerned to devise a strict monitoring system for the trucks collecting hospital wastes from different city hospitals. They said the provincial metropolis had become a hub of hospital waste recycling industry, posing a serious threat to the people as well as the workers involved in this industry. They claimed that the major reason behind the spread of the trade was the failure in the implementation of the Hospital Waste Management Rules 2005.
Experts said the reuse of hospital waste posed serious threat to the health of citizens besides the workers and other people affiliated with the recycling industry in Lahore. ‘If infectious waste is not destroyed properly, it will cause many fatal diseases like Hepatitis and AIDS,’ doctors said adding the waste also caused skin, respiratory and eye diseases.
Sources revealed that private parties were bringing tons of contagious and infectious hospital waste from across the province in the city for recycling purposes. They said the rackets involved in this illegal trade were bringing hospital waste pack in sacks through trucks.
Majority of the plastic recycling industry was situated along the Bund Road, Shahdara, North Lahore and other far flung localities. The waste leaked in the open market was supplied to majority of the plastic recycling industry in closed trucks and other vehicles reflecting the Ôstrong ties’ of the hospital staffers and the mafia people.
They said the plastic industry was manufacturing various items from the recycled hospital waste, which included plastic furniture, plastic toys, plastic utensils, bottles and jars etc. They said the phenomenon was a new revelation for the authorities as earlier it was thought that the hospital waste of local hospitals was leaked out and sold in the local markets to be used in the plastic industry.
The sources revealed majority of these factories were established in small houses and converted the hospital waste in small plastic pieces. Many factories were also involved in washing of the used hospital waste such as syringes, urine bags, glucose bottles and blood bags, they added.
A senior official of the CDGL Environment department said the mafia was involved in sale and purchase of hazardous and infectious hospital waste and was earning more than Rs 15 million per day out of which the value of Lahore’s waste was more than Rs 5 million per day. He said only 10 to 15 per cent waste generated by the major city hospitals was incinerated while the rest went to the plastic recycle industry.
Naseemur Rehman, a senior official of EPD said all the hospitals, public or private, were bound to handle and dispose of their waste as per the Hospital Waste Management Rules, 2005. He said the Punjab government had already taken up the issue seriously and the department had already directed all the 35 District Officers (Environment) to closely monitor the hospitals in their respective districts. He said the CDGL had also launched a crackdown on the illegal trade arresting many culprits.
Published in Daily The News, Lahore on Saturday, November 22, 2008.

MTS guards kills rare fish

2008-11-17T04:56:00.000-08:00

By Our Correspondent
LAHORE: DOZENS of Koi Carp, a fish specie, rarely available in Pakistan, died after the security officials of Model Town Society (MTS) allegedly netted them in the controversial vicinity of Mian Brothers Nursery some two days back.
Sources in MTS security revealed that the night shift security in charge of MTS Tahir Shah came to the nursery on the night of November 12, 2008 and netted the fish.
They said small fish died due to netting while he took away big fish with him.
Mian Ibrar Ahmed, the lease owner of the nursery alleged that the MTS security officials were ruining the rare plants and now they have starting looting the nurserys property in one or another way.
He said the issue was in court and MTS has no right to destroy the nursery before the final decision of the court.
He said over 15,000 plants were already at stake and now the security officials netted rare Koi Crap from the nursery pond.
When contacted, MTS Night Shift Security In charge Tahir Shah adopted a very sarcastic tone with the scribe and said write what you want to write.
Publish a big article in your newspaper that half of the fish are dead while the rest might be dead in a day or two, he said, adding yes he took out the fish and nobody can take action against him.

LDA seals NGO’s botanical garden

2008-11-14T03:04:00.000-08:00

By Ali Raza
LAHORE: IGNORING the concept of social welfare, the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has sealed a botanical garden and the Environmental Education Centre on the Walton Road with a motive to auction the expensive land situated at a prime location.
The Environment Education Centre was established by the Pakistan Family Welfare Council (PFWC), a local NGO, which was working on various health and education issues since 1970. The property belonged to the LDA but was rented to the PFWC in the early 80s for establishing a maternal and child health centre on a nominal token rent of Rs43 per year. The PFWC recently established the Environment Education Centre in one of the rooms of the building while a botanical garden was established in the open space of the 3-kanal land to create awareness among the general public, especially the children and women.
For establishing this botanical garden, the PFWC collected donations and the owner of a commercial nursery donated some 6,000 plants worth Rs0.5 million to the centre, which were at the mercy of the LDA guards, said Naseer A Chauhdry, chairman of the PFWC while talking with The News here on Thursday. He said LDA officials, along with a heavy contingent of police, sealed the botanical garden and the centre on Oct 30, 2008, and termed the centre as a commercial nursery. He said, earlier, PML-N MNA Khwaja Saad Raffique visited the centre in mid Sep 2008 and raised objections over the establishment of botanical garden, terming it a commercial nursery. He said he briefed the MNA about the project and work of the PFWC and asked him to visit the centre after 30 days to see the result.
“Unfortunately, the centre was sealed just after 20 days of the visit of the MNA,” Naseer said, adding that he also wrote a detailed letter to the LDA DG, regarding the issue but got no response.
He said the small plants were without water and needed immediate care but he was unable to do anything.
The PFWC was the first NGO of the country, which developed environmental education material in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, he said, adding that he was asked to develop the environmental education material by the then Federal Environment Minister Asif Ali Zardari who is now the President of the country.
On a question, he said the PFWC was regularly paying rent of the premises till 2006 but suddenly the LDA authorities stopped issuing them challan forms to pay the advance rent of the year 2006. He said he, then, wrote a letter to the then DG LDA, requesting him for issuance of challan form for payment of rent but got no reply. He said he wrote a letter to the LDA authorities for issuance of challan form again in 2008 and also lodged a complaint at LDA’s one window. He said he went to LDA’s director Estate Management who assured him that a challan form would be issued shortly.
“The day LDA’s director Estate Management told me that I will get a challan form, the LDA officials sealed the nursery,” he said, adding that an ‘outsider’ told him that the LDA would remove its seal from the centre if he agreed to exclude the botanical garden’s area from the centre’s premises.
Naseer claimed that some LDA officials told him that the LDA had planned to auction the land because it was situated at a prime location and the LDA could earn huge revenue from the auction. He appealed the Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to stop the LDA authorities from selling the centre, which was serving the masses without putting any financial burden on the provincial government.
When contacted, the LDA’s Estate Management director said the government had directed the LDA to get all its rented property vacated. He claimed that the LDA had followed the legal procedure and initially served notices to the PFWC, which its management refused to receive. Later, the notices regarding vacating the property were pasted on the walls and finally the LDA got possession of the land. Answering a question about the policy of LDA regarding a social welfare organisations, he said no one was above the law and the LDA treated everyone as per rules and regulations.
Published in daily The News, Lahore on Friday, November 14, 2008.

Americans come to the rescue of 15,000 plants in MTS

2008-11-06T02:04:00.000-08:00

By Ali Raza
LAHORE: CALIFORNIA State University, CHICO, USA has expressed its willingness to establish an environmental research centre at one of the oldest nurseries of the country and requested the Punjab government to save the botanical garden from commercialism.
The issue of razing one of the oldest nurseries in Pakistan gained international attention after the Model Town Society (MTS) got possession of the 28 kanal land with over 15,000 plants including many rare species some days back.
A local civil court had already issued contempt of court notices to the MTS office-bearers for displacing the owners who were leased the nursery.
Professor Iftikhar Ahmed, Environmentalist and Botanical Gardens Consultant, California and Oregon, USA called the correspondent from USA and raised serious concern over the taking over of the Mian Brothers Nursery by the MTS, and said the government should intervene to rescue the plants.
He said he as an environmentalist and botanical gardens consultant in California and Oregon worked with universities and botanical gardens of USA and was in touch with Mian Brothers Nursery & Botanical Garden for research purposes.
Unfortunately, I was recently informed that the Model Town Society again has attacked the garden. This time they are heavily armed, with some corrupt police and apparently they have blockaded the garden and they are readying to bulldoze the garden. It is difficult to understand how such an action can be allowed, he said.
Talking about the project of establishing a research centre in Mian Brothers Nursery, he said, We have great interest in protecting educational and natural resources. Here in the University of California, we have considered the possibility of establishing a cooperative environmental sciences programme with Pakistan, possibly using the garden as a site to establish an environmental education centre. While it is agreed that such a programme might be highly beneficial to the citizens of Pakistan, we were advised not to pursue such a venture until there is greater stability in Pakistan. The suggestion was made not because of local instability, but because of the obvious regional disruptions.
He revealed that in the last meeting of Environment studies department of California State University, CHICO it was decided that the university would establish an environmental sciences and horticultural studies research centre in the Mian Brothers Nursery & Botanical Garden without destroying the environment of the existing garden and no trees would be cut for this purpose.
About the funds, he said the project would be run through NGOs and the university would give scholarships to the local students. The funds will be released not at once and will take time, he maintained.
He also revealed that the Director of the Environmental Department has also written letters to the Pakistan embassy in Washington DC and US embassy in Pakistan regarding the issue.
He said he also wrote letters to the Minister of Environment seeking his intervention into the issue.
He said the university would soon send a letter of support to the chief minister of Punjab and would request the Chief Justice of Lahore High Court as well as the Federal government in Pakistan to save this precious nursery and rare species of plants, which are at the brink of extinction.
Prof Iftikhar said that these kind of brutal activities against the local environment (destroying plants trees and green spaces) would negatively affect the local environment. He added that such situations create more difficulties in attracting international environmental protection funds as well as educational funds to Pakistan.
On the other hand, when contacted, MTS President Col (Retd) Tahir Kardar said the MTS would not allow establishment of any such centre in the nursery. He said the land was the property of MTS and the society has already approved construction of a shopping mall at the site.
Published in Daily The News, Lahore on Thursday, November 06, 2008.

15,000 plants face destruction in MTS

2008-11-04T00:52:00.000-08:00

By Ali Raza
LAHORE: A CIVIL court has issued a contempt of court notice to the Model Town Society (MTS) for forcibly occupying one of the oldest nurseries of the country with an aim to replace it with a commercial venture.
Following the MTS action, more than 15,000 different species of local as well as imported plants in the nursery are facing destruction because the MTS sealed the nursery with barbed wires and deputed security personnel to prevent entry into the area. During the last 10 days, even the leaseholders were not allowed to enter the nursery to water or fertilise the plants due to which many sensitive plant species had already withered away.
The Mian Brothers Nursery, established by late Mian Bilal Ahmed in 1945, is situated just at the entrance to the MTS. It could be termed one of the oldest nurseries of the country, which were in operation before partition. Mian Bilal was considered as the one of the first people who brought different species of plants from Europe and the Far East in the country. In 1968, he brought Fish Tail Palms and other varieties of plants in his nursery and planted them in his nursery to get saplings.
Presently, the nursery is giving a look of a no-go area as the MTS has erected barbed wire fences at the main and side entrances to the nursery while the security personnel are seen sitting inside it while displaying their weapons. A number of cartons, seed boxes and other items were thrown MTS armed personnel on the Ferozpur Road on Oct 19, 2008.
Mian Sarfraz Ahmed, son of late Mian Bilal Ahmed said his father died in 2005 after which he and his brother were taking care of the nursery and running their family business. He said in 2004, the MTS first raised the issue of cancellation of the lease agreement, which his father challenged in the court and got a stay.
The court order is still valid today and the MTS has failed to get the stay order vacated because it has no ground, he said, adding the case was still pending in the court and instead of fighting the legal battle, the MTS used to issue them threats.
Mian Sarfraz said on Oct 19, the head of MTSs Engineering Wing Khalid Bhatti and MTS Security Incharge DSP (Retd) Saleem, along with a police vehicle and personnel of the MTS staff, stormed into the nursery, ransacked the office and threw out valuables, including office furniture, seed boxes and fertilizers worth over Rs300,000, on the main road.
When we asked them the reason for the illegal action, DSP (retd) Saleem and Khalid Bhatti said they were under immense pressure of MTS President Col (Retd) Kardar who wanted the issue to be resolved immediately, Mian Ibrar Ahmed, the second son Mian Bilal said, claiming that the MTS did not show them any court orders or served them a notice of cancellation of the lease prior to the action.
Mian Sarfraz said after the action of the MTS, he immediately moved to the court, which issued a contempt of court notice to the MTS security incharge and other senior officials for violating the earlier court orders. He said he got a stay order in 2007 in which the court had stopped the MTS from dispossessing the lease owner of the place. He said he also requested the court to issue a clear order regarding the earlier stay, on which the court issued a clear order on Oct 28, which said that from the perusal of the record revealed that on Feb 2,2007, while recording the interim order, an ad-interim injunction was issued, restraining the respondents from dispossessing the petitioners from the suit property till the next hearing of the case. He said the court order further revealed that the said ad-interim injunction was still operative and intact and not considered to have been vacated and in continuation of order dated 02-02-2007 and defendants were restrained from dispossessing the petitioners from the property in question.
Meanwhile, Mian Ibrar also wrote letters to Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif and the Punjab chief secretary to look into the illegal action of the MTS. He said he and his brother were fighting the legal battle and the MTS should fight its case in the court instead of violating the laws of the land.
When contacted, MTS President Col (retd) Tahir Kardar said the nursery was the property of the MTS and it had every right to get possession of its land. He said the nursery land was leased to Mian brothers but they had not been paying the lease amount for the last five years.
The MTS has given ample time to the leaseholders to pay the amount but they failed, on which the MTS got possession of the nursery, he said, adding that the MTS had also offered the leaseholders to get a 4-kanal-plot from the MTS to establish a new nursery, which they agreed to but instead of shifting of plants, they went to the court and got a stay. He said in the stay order, the court abstained the MTS from disconnecting electricity and water to the nursery and it did not stop the society from taking possession of the land.
Kardar said the land of the nursery was leased at Rs 3,000 per year but the MTS increased the per year land rent to Rs 12,000 per kanal, which the other nurseries were paying to the MTS. He said there were 14 nurseries in the housing society, which had brought all of them together by giving 4-kanal-land to each of them at one place. He said the said nursery was situated at a very attractive place and the MTS, in its meeting, had decided to use the land for constructing a big shopping mall with multinational restaurants and stores of international standard.
Answering a question about destruction of plants in the nursery, Col (retd) Kardar claimed that he would not allow the leaseholders to go in and take care of the plants, adding that he two gardeners had been deputed to look after the plants. The Punjab government or the City District Government Lahore did not give any financial help to the MTS and it had to run its affairs from its own resources, he said, adding that the society had rented out land to petrol pumps, nurseries, etc for earning revenue.
Published in Daily The News on Tuesday, November 04, 2008.

CDGL to make fuel from waste

2008-10-28T00:25:00.000-07:00

By Ali Raza
LAHORE: THE City District Government Lahore (CDGL) has started procuring land to establish first Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) plant in the provincial capital at a cost of over Rs 300 millions.
CDGL sources on Monday said the government would earn revenue by selling the RDF to cement factories, where it was used as a supplementary fuel or power generation fuel while in Europe it had replaced coal used as fuel by the cement factories. The production of RDF at local level would end its import or other solid waste in the country, the sources said, adding that the Fauji Foundation had also established a RDF processing plant at its factory at Fateh Jang.
Officials of the Solid Waste Management (SWM) department of the CDGL said that presently over 6,000 tonnes of garbage was generated daily in the provincial capital while 1,000 tonnes solid waste was being generated in Model Town, the Cantonment Board areas, the DHA and other private housing schemes, which meant over 7,000 tonnes of solid waste was being generated in the city.
On the other hand, the SWM’s lifting capacity is not compatible to the waste generation and over 30 per cent of the waste remains on the city roads as well as dumped in the city drains and sewer system. This is resulting in rise in the level of drains which overflow, especially in the monsoon.
Talking about the RDF project, SWM’s District Officer (Planning) Liaqat Jatoi said the Punjab government had already approved the project and the CDGL had spared around Rs 280 millions for procurement of land along the Sagian Bridge for the purpose. He said the RDF was a fuel produced by shredding municipal solid waste (MSW) in an autoclave, adding that the RDF consisted largely of organic components of municipal waste such as plastics and biodegradable waste. He said the CDGL would also install RDF plants at all its landfill sites in the future. Liaqat said the RDF plant was environment friendly and was designed to reduce the hazardous effects of solid waste. He said during the post treatment processing cycle, non-combustible materials such as glass and metals were removed with an air knife or other mechanical separation processes. The residual material was then compressed into pellets, bricks or logs and was sold or used for power generation, he said, adding that advanced RDF processing methods (pressurized steam treatment in an autoclave) could remove or significantly reduce harmful pollutants.
Liaqat Jatoi said that the heating value of the RDF was around 6,000 BTU (British Thermal Unit) while the heating value of coal was around 8,000 BTU. This was why the RDF was replacing coal in cement industry around the world, he maintained.
Talking about the capacity of proposed RDF plant, he said the plant would be capable of consuming about 20,000 tonnes of solid waste and produce about 1,000 tonnes RDF on a daily basis. He said the project would clean the city from all kind of garbage and help in making it green and clean.
The district officer (planning) said the Punjab government had decided to initiate same kind of projects in five big cities of the province and contracts of the projects would be awarded by the respective city district governments.
published in Daily The News on Tuesday, October 28, 2008.

Environmental degradation in Kasur

2008-10-18T06:58:00.000-07:00

By Ali Raza
LAHORE: THE Environment Protection Department (EPD) has issued notices to 11 fat processing factories for playing havoc with the environment of Kasur by spreading bad odour as well as various diseases.
The EPD sources said on Friday a large number of small units, involved in the business of melting animal fat and extracting oil and proteins from them, were established in various residential localities of Kasur. They said most of the factories were extracting oil from the fat of dead animals by placing heavy cauldrons in the open, which were emitting a foul smell, causing not only pollution but also various diseases.
The locals had repeatedly asked the district administration as well as the EPD for the closure of the illegal business, but no serious effort was made by the authorities concerned in this regard.
The locals claimed that the units extracted fats for manufacturing soaps in Kasur, Lahore, Faisalabad and some other districts of the province. Talking to The News, a resident of Niaznagar, Kasur, alleged that the business was going on with the connivance of the police and the local Environment Department. He said the citizens were suffering from TB, hepatitis, cancer and other dangerous diseases due to the unchecked business.
The EPD officials claimed that besides these fat melting units, some 237 tanneries were also operating in Kasur, producing wet blue leather, sold to bigger tanneries in Sialkot where the leather was finished and then exported abroad. They said the health and safety situation was also a cause for concern at the tanneries, adding that the tanneries discharged around 9,000 cubic metres of waste daily in Kasur.
Naseemur Rehman, a senior official of the EPD, said the department was very concerned about the environmental hazards being faced by the residents of Kasur. He said many projects had already been launched to improve the environment of Kasur and the recently the EPD issued notices to 11 fat melting units. He said if units failed to address the environmental issues, cases would be sent to the environment tribunal.
Published in Daily The News on Saturday 18, 2008.

Over 9000 industries without water treatment plants in Faisalabad

2008-10-10T06:16:00.000-07:00

By Ali Raza

LAHORE: Punjab Environment Protection Department (EPD) has directed all the industrialists of Faisalabad to install water treatment plants and scrubbers within the next six months to save the city from the deteriorating environmental conditions.

Sources in EPD said over 9000 industries are operating in Faisalabad city including the residential localities. Out of these over 9000 industries, majority are related to textile and dying where generally weaving, dying, printing and finishing of cloth was carried out.

EPD sources claimed that hundreds of complaints regarding increasing air and water pollution in Faisalabad city were already pending with the EPD. They said these industries usually produce waste water with hazardous chemicals and thick smoke and only a few industries have been meeting with the international and national standards relating to controlling environment.

They claimed that in absence of any adequate treatment facilities and effective drainage system, bulk of the effluent from these industrial units flow into open lands, low lying areas as well as under the ground. This is damaging the quality of under ground water besides causing severe damage to flora and fauna. The offensive smell of stagnant pools of waste water is also a great source of nuisance to the local residents, they maintained.

On Thursday Director General EPD along with senior other officials of EPD held a meeting with industrialists at Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FCCI) to discuss industrial pollution.

Officials said the DG EPD has directed the industrialists to must install water treatment plants during the next six months after which the department will take strict action against the non compliances. The DG also directed the smoke emitting industries to install scrubbers in their respective industrial units. Scrubbers are the devices, which control air pollution and remove some particulars and/or gases from industrial exhaust streams.

The DG EPD further directed the industrial units to take effective steps to control disposal of solid waste generated by their respective industries in a scientific manner so that the problem of scattered solid waste in the city could be eliminated.

The Industrialists were also directed to do a proper landscaping and beautification of their industries besides playing an effective role in tree plantation in and around the city with the coordination of Forest Department.

DG EPD said that the industrialists should participate in community development activities to promote a good image of industrial sector in the general public. She urged them to start installing water purification plants in the localities around their industries so that the people living around the industries will get pure and healthy drinking water.

The DG EPD also asked the industrialists to start preparing to shift their industries to the Faisalabad Industrial Estate, which is being constructed on 4300 acre land with a combined waste water treatment plant. The DG said that the upcoming industrial estate will ease the city from the increasing environmental hazards.

The DG EPD also urged the industrialists of Faisalabad to build a fund like the Sialkot Development Fund, which was established by the industrialists of Sialkot and they deposit 3 per cent of their profits in this fund. The DG said the fund will help in building the city beautiful, clean and pollution free and will also improves the standard of living in the city.
Story published in Daily The News on October 10, 2008

EPD devoid of powers to control pollution

2008-08-26T03:04:00.000-07:00

By Ali Raza

Lahore: The Environmental Protection Department�s (EPD) not having magisterial powers is a major hindrance in curtailing the smoke and noise emitted by public transport vehicles across the province, which is resulting in serious environmental hazards.
According to sources, the EPD served many notices as well as final warning to the manufacturers of public transport i.e. buses, wagons and two stroke rickshaws to follow the government�s environmental policy but all efforts went down the drain because the department can not take any practical measure against the violators.
The roads of all the major cities are full of smoke-emitting public transport vehicles, which are also using pressure horns. This is resulting in increased air and noise pollution across the province, especially on the roads and busy crossings. The sources said the EPD, in its last warning letter to all the manufacturers and transporters, warned them that the government would not allow any public transport vehicle or two stroke rickshaw to ply in five major cities after December 2007 unless it followed the government�s environmental friendly transport policy. They added the EPD had directed all the buss manufacturers to upgrade their factories to manufacture CNG and Euro II standard busses as after December 2007 the government would not allow any buss other than the above mentioned types to ply on the roads of Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, Gujranwala and Rawalpindi.
The sources said the EPD had also directed the franchised companies that they should replace their existing fleet with CNG busses or diesel busses of Euro II standard till December 2007, otherwise they would have to pack up. Besides this, the EPD also intimated the franchised companies that busses older than 10 years would not be allowed to ply on urban routes.
The EPD sources revealed that the department had also asked the wagon owners and manufacturers to replace the existing wagons with mini busses of Euro II standard. They said the manufacturers of motorcycle rickshaws were also informed that the government would not allow induction of any new two stroke motor cycle rickshaws after December 2007 and only four stroke motor cycle rickshaws would be allowed to move on the city roads. However, the decisions were not implemented yet due to various reasons including the political pressure on the EPD as a number of politicians owns transport companies. One can witness that the number of two stroke motorcycle rickshaws is continuously increasing in the big cities, especially the provincial metropolis.
Likewise, one can also witness smoke and noise emitting busses and wagons in different cities, especially Lahore, Gujranwala, Multan, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Sargodha etc.
In Lahore, the City District Government (CDGL) banned the entry of two stroke rickshaws on various roads but the overall attitude of the CDGL, Traffic Police and Transport Department was very lenient towards them.
Secretary EPD Zafar Iqbal said the EPD had an advisory role and could not take any practical step against the polluters. He said the Pakistan Environmental Protection Act lacked the CrPC, which in simple language meant that the Act lacked the procedure to try the criminal. To overcome the problem, the department has already sent a summary to the federal government pointing out various legal lacunas in the Act, said the Secretary, adding the Environmental Tribunals are also administrative arrangement and need judicial powers to try and punish the violators of the Act. �The only measure EPD can take is to fine the smoke and noise emitting vehicles, which the department is doing�, he said adding the department collected a fine of Rs 4 million from the transporters in recent months. The department has constituted special teams comprising of traffic police, motor vehicle examiners and EPD officials for checking and fining of such vehicles. Answering a question about replacing the existing busses with CNG busses, he said the transport department had already given a detailed briefing to the prime minister regarding the issue and a PC-1 was already under preparation.

Published in Daily The News on Tuesday, August 26, 2008.

Solar lights: Its late but not too late

2008-08-20T04:40:00.000-07:00

By Ali Raza
LAHORE: FOLLOWING the ongoing electricity crisis and the need to find alternative energy resources, the Environment Protection Department (EPD), Punjab, has initiated a project to instal solar lights in the Jillani Park (Racecourse Park) of the provincial metropolis.
Talking to The News on Monday, a senior EPD official said the department installed five solar panels each having 20 lights in the park. The panels were installed at the main entrance of the park, the lakeside and three different interior portions of the park, he said, adding that the phenomenon of illuminating public parks with solar lights was new in the country while the Race Course Park Project was the first of its nature in the province.
Technological advances coupled with an increased worldwide commitment for energy conservation have spawned generation of lighting-photovoltaic or solar renewable power, said a technological expert of EPD, adding that the EPD had introduced a new technology in the project. He said solar cells used in the past were weak and could not hold a reliable charge for more than a few hours but now the scientists had designed advanced solid state circuit boards, providing longer discharge time.
In the West, solar lighting systems are available for all types of applications, i.e. landscape, posts, columns, walls, patios, decks, etc, he said, maintaining that with solar power, transformers, wires and cables were not required while there was no voltage drop issue.
A senior official of the Pepco said Pakistan lied in an area of one of the highest solar insulation in the world, which could be exploited to produce electricity, adding that solar energy could also be used in water heaters and cookers and other such devises.
Punjab EPD Secretary Zafar Iqbal Sheikh said the department had plans to expand the lighting system installed in the Race Course Park across the province. He said the project was launched as a test case and if the results were good, it would be introduced in other cities too.
The Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) has planned to expand the project to other parks of the city despite the fact that installation of solar lights was very costly. The PHA officials said solar lights would be installed at big parks in different phases, adding that a summary, in this regard, was also prepared and sent to the Punjab chief minister for approval.

Published in Daily The News on Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Children's Hospital DMS held in medical waste scam

2008-08-04T03:35:00.000-07:00

Monday, August 04, 2008

By Ali Raza
LAHORE: The Environment Department of the City District Government (CDGL), Lahore, got a deputy medical superintendent (DMS) of the Children Hospital arrested for his alleged involvement in the sale of dangerous hospital waste.

The DMS namely Khalid Shah was arrested on the information given by four employees of the Children Hospital, who had been behind the bars for the last days. They were arrested when they were transferring dangerous hospital waste from an official truck to a private vehicle, instead of taking the waste to the Children Hospital incinerator.

The Children Hospital Lahore has the facility to incinerate hospital infectious/hazardous waste collected from fifteen (15) government hospitals for which two (2) special capsulated trucks bearing number LZJ-4342 and LZJ-4345 had been allocated. The trucks collect infectious waste from Mayo Hospital, Services Hospital, Ganga Ram Hospital, Jinnah Hospital, General Hospital, P.I.C. Hospital, Lady Willington Hospital, Lady Aitcheson Hospital, Nawaz Sharif Hospital Yaki Gate, Govt Mina Munshi Hospital, Kot Khawaja Saeed Hospital and Dental Hospitals. The waste is incinerated as mandated under law in the incinerators at the Children Hospital.

Sources in the CDGL said the hospital authorities, after the arrests, wrote a letter to the DCO Lahore asked him to release the official vehicle, which was also seized. They said the DCO Lahore refused to release the vehicle on the pretext that the truck was now a case property and could not be released till the investigation was over.

The DO Environment while talking to The News said the hospital authorities had also constituted a high level inquiry committee to investigate the issue. He said the committee would submit its final recommendations to the Chief Secretary on Monday (today). The committee will also fix responsibility in its report.

Meanwhile, the DCO wrote a detailed letter to the chief secretary with a subject "Action against the officials engaged in unlawful activity of selling hospital waste." The letter stated that, in order to avoid hazards of hospital waste, the DCO held a meeting with the administration of the government and private hospitals advising them for proper management and disposal of hospital waste. He said the government and private hospitals were warned to be careful as reportedly hospital waste was being sold and recycled / re-used in connivance with the hospital staff.

The DCO revealed that a monitoring/intelligence team was constituted to monitor hospital waste and its disposal. Giving details of the August 1, 2008 incident, he said, on August 1, a raid was conducted on the information collected by the Environment Department that a truck bearing number LZJ 4342 was going to deliver/sell the hospital waste to a private contractor namely Imran.

The truck was followed from the General Hospital from where it had collected hospital waste. Instead of going to the Children Hospital, the truck went to Opp Miraj mosque, Bank Stop, 17 KM Ferozepur Road, Lahore where the truck of a private contractor was already waiting/ parked to collect the waste. It turned out that the truck carrying the hospital waste belonged to the Children Hospital. The truck was carrying 340 kg of the waste collected from different hospitals. Consequently, an FIR No. 682/08 has been lodged in Police Station Kot Lakhpat, Lahore and both the trucks have also been impounded. The DCO proposed to the chief secretary that the Punjab health secretary might be asked to inquire the matter and take the necessary action in the larger public interest.

The DO Environment said, after the preliminary interrogation, the arrested persons disclosed their names as Ghulam Rasool (truck driver) and Muqas Masih (sweeper/ helper). They further disclosed that that a large mafia was involved in the heinous activity. Both the private and govt hospital officials were involved in the activity, they said. They further informed that the waste was being sold at approximately Rs. 95/- per KG.

The arrested persons named the persons involved in the crime. They are Zaka (ex driver of the truck/gang leader) of Children Hospital, Dr. Arif (Transport Incharge Children Hospital), Dr. Khalid Shah D.M.S. (Incinerator) Children Hospital and the sanitary inspectors/Chief Sanitary inspectors of Mayo Hospital, Services Hospital, Ganga Ram Hospital, Jinnah Hospital and General Hospital.

He said Dr Khalid Shah had been arrested and more arrests were also expected in the forthcoming days, he said.

Move to make Plastic bag Costlier

2008-08-04T03:34:00.000-07:00

Monday, August 04, 2008
By Ali Raza

LAHORE

TO discourage extensive use of polyethylene bags (shopping bags), the Punjab Environment Protection Department (EPD) has decided to increase its weight that would increase its cost and subsequently retailers and whole sellers would stop using it.

The decision was under consideration and the EPD officials have engaged some experts and researchers from the Punjab University for suggestions. Sources in EPD said the business of black plastic bags has already been declared illegal while the government was also considering discouraging the use of other kind of plastic bags.

Sources said the plastic bags were one of the major polluting agents making environment hazardous across the country. They said the manufacturing of low class plastic bags was on rise in the city and even with the purchase of an egg, one can get a free of cost shopping bag.

Experts said plastic bags or polyethylene shopping bags were commonly used and the predominant reason was that they were inexpensive and convenience to use. Experts claimed that the consumption of bags was worked out to be 100 bags per person per month.

They said plastic bags were highly dangerous for the environment as they contaminate eatable with chemicals which subsequently result in a high incidence of disease when disposed, by burning it pollutes the atmosphere ands environment, if dumped it harm the agriculture, if dumped in rivers or sea; its hazardous for marine life and dumping on land choke up sewers and drains.

EPD Sources claimed that shopping bags in general were made of low-density polyethylene which was a by-product of petroleum. There are three classes of plastic bags i.e. transparent, coloured (white or green) and black plastic bags. They said use of black coloured plastic bags was already banned in the province.

Talking about different nature of plastic bags, an environmental expert said transparent plastic bags were made of virgin polyethylene granules and do not contain any toxic chemical. At low or normal temperature these bags do not effect the food quality, milk, yoghurt, bread and etc. This category of plastic bags is not that harmful as the black plastic.

The coloured (white or green or not fully black yet plastic bags) are a result of re-cycled transparent bags with colour added to them. Recycling reduces the quality of the plastic, besides loss of other properties, especially their inertness, he said, adding these coloured plastic bags become reactive and pass on toxic chemicals on contract. He claimed that when hot food is packed in any of these bags, toxic chemicals pass on to the food.

Here in provincial metropolis majority of the bread sellers (Tandoor) used to pack hot rotis and naan in this type of shopping bags.

The expert said that black plastic bags were the most dangerous and harmful because they are made of the plastic which was recycled repeatedly. He revealed that the black colour of the plastic bags is not an artificial colour, but was black carbon incorporated in the plastic mass to make for the formation of globules that emerge.

Majority of experts claimed that the use of black plastic bags was carcinogenic and it was established that it could cause cancer. Vinyl Chloride which is an established carcinogen, is present in these bags, they added. The experts said that natural decomposition of plastic bags takes several decades and so they persist in the environment littering the streets.

Naseemur Rehman, a senior EPD official said that the department is seriously working on the issue and engaged many experts from different educational institutions to get recommendations. He said presently shopping bags up to 30-micron weight/thickness are available in the market and the department is considering increasing the weight up to 60 micron. This will increase the cost of the plastic bags and will not be feasible for the shopkeepers to pack stuff in plastic bags so frequently.

700 industrial steel units issued warnings

2008-07-03T04:06:00.000-07:00

By By Ali Raza
LAHORE: ENVIRONMENT Protection Department (EPD) has started issuing warnings to more than 700 industrial units including a major chunk of steel related industries causing serious environmental hazards especially noise and air pollution in various localities of Northern Lahore.
Light and heavy steel industry is developed in northern localities such as Misri Shah, Baghbanpura, Moghalpura, Daroghewala, Bhagat Pura, Chah Miran Shadbagh and other localities along the Bund Road and GT Road. These industries included Steel Foundries, Steel Re-rolling Mills, Steel Furnaces and Scrap Yards. All of these industries are spreading different types of pollutions especially air, noise, vibration and heat.
Besides the residential areas, a good number of steel mills are also operating around the historical monuments i.e. Shalimar Garden, Lahore Fort and Badshahi Mosque and the environment department of CDGL had already served notices to some 48 such mills but the danger is still there.
Majority of these industries are using used tyres and sub standard rubber products to keep their furnaces alive, said a senior official of EPD while talking to The News. He said air pollution is the key environmental issue of the steel industry which the residents are facing. The major source of air pollution is the furnace, which releases pollutants like carbon monoxide, sulphur oxides and toxic metals.
The principle air pollutant in the smoke is Particulate Matter (PM) that includes toxic metal dusts and fumes of lead, chromium, cadmium and zinc, said Dr Nusrat Hashmi. These uncontrolled emissions are resulting in deterioration of air quality, he said adding that the air pollutants restrict photosynthesis, increase respiratory infections, birth defects, acid rains, and lung damage. He said lead and cadmium are also present in the fumes released by furnaces that cause collapse of central nervous system and degeneration of joints, lung and kidney diseases respectively.
On the other hand, hundred of thousands of resident of North Lahore are facing this threat directly or indirectly and were approaching different forums to get a relief. They said different types of diseases are spreading in the localities amongst which asthma and skin diseases are on top.
Sources in EPD said as per Pakistan Environmental Protection Act, 1997 all industrial units i.e. cottage or large are supposed to obtain NOC from Environmental Protection Department (EPD) but over 90 per cent industrial units are operating with out fulfilling this legal formality. Secretary Environment when contacted revealed that the department has already started a detailed survey in North Lahore to access the situation. He said the department approved serving EPOs for personnel hearing to 15 steel mills namely New Shalimar Steel Mills, Khalid Asif Steel Mills, Gujjar Steel Mills, Khalid Siddique Steel Mills, Akram Steel Mills (I), Pervaiz Akhtar Steel Mills, Akram Steel Mills (II), Shahbaz Steel Mills, Tariq & Sons Steel Mills, Zafar Steel Mills, Nazir Jogar Steel Mills, Jabbar Steel Mills, Batiala Steel Mills, AF Steel Mills and Bismillah Steel Mills.
He said the government’s first priority is to shift these industrial units and in case of failure the department will ensure that the concerned industry should take measures to prevent pollution.
This story is published in Daily The News on Wednesday, July 02, 2008.

Hospital waste.....No action Yet

2008-06-30T05:56:00.000-07:00

By Ali Raza
Lahore: Environment Protection Department (EPD) has approved legal action against majority of the public sector hospitals and as a first step the department will start issuing Environmental Protection Orders (EPO) to the respective administrations.
Sources in EPD said the Director General EPD has signed the approval and the department will start serving EPOs to the public sector hospitals. Sources said many hospitals operating in private sector will also be served EPO.
Sources said EPD higher authorities have also expressed their concern over the failure of City District Government Lahore (CDGL) Environmental wing in getting the Hospital Management Rules 2005, implemented. Sources said no hospital, both in public or private sectors, has implemented the rules in its true spirit.
Sources said this failure has converted the provincial metropolis in a hub of hospital waste recycling industry, which posed a serious threat to the people as well as the workers involved in this industry. EPD sources claimed that only 10 to 15 per cent waste generated by the major city hospitals is incinerated while rest goes to the recycle industry.
Sources said the EPD, earlier, had already sent notices to majority of the city hospitals for not complying with section 31 of the Pakistan Environment Protection Act (PEPA) of 1997. The section requires all hospitals to dispose their waste properly according to the Hospital Waste Management Rules (HWMR) 2005. As per the rules, all hospitals—public or private are bound to handle and dispose of their waste according to the Hospital Waste Management Rules, 2005.
EPD sources said the EPOs will be issued to Lahore General Hospital, Jinnah Hospital, Children Hospital, Ganga Ram Hospital, Services Hospital, Mayo Hospital, Mian Munshi Hospital, Omar Hospital and many others under section 16 of Pakistan Environmental Protection Act (PEPA).
Naseemur Rehman, a senior official of EPD said the Punjab government has taken up the issue seriously and the department has already directed all the 35 District Officers (Environment) to closely monitor the hospitals in their respective districts.
He said under the EPOs, administrations of the hospitals are directed to improve the cleanliness condition of their respective hospitals within the next ten days. He said the hospitals are directed to also implement the Hospital Waste Management Rules 2005 in true spirit. He concluded that in case of failure, the EPD will send cases against hospitals in Environmental Protection Tribunal for further action.

Story published in daily The News on November 11, 2007.

Dangerous Entertainment..........Lahore Canal

2008-06-30T05:41:00.000-07:00

By Ali Raza

Lahore: Despite many efforts, the civic and environment protection agencies have failed to stop discharge of toxic liquid waste of factories and household sewerage to Lahore canal.

The canal is adding beauty to Lahore for decades and with the passage of time localities along the canal started throwing their waste water in it due to the absence of a proper sewerage system.

This had changed the look of the canal to a dirty pond of water besides making its water harmful and a serious health hazards for the people who are using its water for various purposes.

Following the continuous pollution, the aquatic life in the canal has also totally vanished while the environmentalists warned of skin and other diseases if the canal water was used.

The city canal attracted a large number of people especially youth to have a cold dip to stave off the scorching by completely ignoring the fact that canal’s water is no more termed fit for bathing. While a large number of people also used its water for agricultural purposes.

The people especially the youngsters love to swim and play in the canal water as there are no other proper as well as cheap facilities available in the city. The canal, which runs through the middle of Lahore, has also been serving as a spot for picnic, morning walk and a place to relax on its banks for the last several decades.

In absence of water running in the canal, it looks like a ditch full of heaps of solid waste on most of its section especially between Fateh Gargh and New Campus.

Due to pollution, the swimmers run the risk of contracting various diseases relating to skin, digestive system, ears and eyes as drains from several residential areas, workshops and business houses carrying human and animal wastes mix amply with canal water.

While swimming in the canal, the contamination reaches in the stomachs of the picnickers, which might result in serious illness. Youth also used to wash fruits in the canal, which is also harmful for their health.

Dr Nusrat, a medical physician while talking with The News said inhaling contaminated water can lead to dangerous diseases while it can also badly affect the eyes and ears of the swimmers.

Most of the people dipping in the canal encountered with skin and stomach related disease, he said adding people should avoid bathing in the canal. He also urged the government to provide clean and cheap swimming pools so that the people can enjoy summer.

Though the City District Government had stopped discharge of household wastewater into the canal and a project was completed a few days ago, the canal is still receiving a large volume of wastewater from at least 14 different points.

Besides the residential colonies, the toxic water of some carpet washing centers and other industrial units are also being discharged in the canal.

Sources in Punjab Environmental Protection Department (EPD) said the fault was of Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA), which has failed to provide proper system for disposing of sewerage water in the localities along the canal.

On the other hand, a senior WASA official, seeking anonymity said that WASA is helplessness in this regard because majority of the colonies situated along the canal from Jallo Park to Thokar Niaz Beg were not in their control. He further said unplanned urbanization was also one of the reasons for this problem.

District Officer (Environment) Tariq Zaman while talking with The News over the issue said that some five to six industrial units are secretly discharging their water in canal. He further said that Punjab EPA had already filed cases against the violators.

A spokesman of CDG said for eliminating complaints regarding pollution of canal water in Lahore, District Nazim Mian Amer Mahmood recently inaugurated trunk sewer system and a newly constructed lift station at Salamat Pura vicinity. He said the project has been executed at a cost of Rs 100 million for providing alternate disposal arrangements for waste water of adjoining localities, which had been falling in the Lahore Canal at 40 points.

He claimed that the project will redress about ninety percent complaints regarding canal water pollution as the project eliminated 26 points from where waste water is being thrown in the canal.

Talking about the elimination of the remaining 14 points, he said construction of Mughalpura underpass in near future would also eliminate three more such points and project was being formulated for eradicating six such points from Harbunspura to upstream till Jallo More. He stated that a project for eliminating five points from where industrial effluents are being put in the canal will be launched very soon.

Story published in daily The News on May 24, 2007.

Tainted potable water for Lahorites

2008-06-24T07:32:00.000-07:00

By Ali Raza

LAHORE: AFTER a shortage of some 200 chlorinators, the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) has failed to provide clean and germ-free water to most citizens, who use tap water for drinking in the provincial capital.Sources said that more than 70 per cent chlorinators, installed at tubewells in the provincial capital, were out of order and Wasa officials were using unscientific ways to chlorinate water. Besides, a shortage of chlorine has become an issue and the use of unchlorinated tap water has increased the risk of diseases among the citizens.Wasa provides around 500 million-gallon water to the citizens everyday, which is pumped out by over 425 tubewells. Wasa officials said the agency had installed about 130 chlorinators with a cost of Rs 49,000 each, some two years back, but most of them were out of order. The officials said the agency had advertised a tender for the purchase of 200 chlorinators some four months back, but it had not been finalised yet. The officials said chlorine was used for purification of drinking water and killing harmful bacteria. They said Wasa used chlorine at all tubewells for the purpose but for the past six or seven months, the agency had been facing a shortage of the chlorinators. In this connection, another senior Wasa official said sand particles, suspended organic matter particles, parasites, bacteria, algae, viruses, fungi etc were removed from water in the purification process.The official said the use of unscientific methods to chlorinate water might expose people to various waterborne diseases, such as hepatitis, dysentery and cholera. He added that chlorine underdose or overdose could harm health of human beings. In this aspect, Dr Nusrat Hashmi, a water expert said the absence of chlorine in water especially in the rainy season could cause serious health hazards for the people. He `said chlorine was the most common disinfectant because it was a strong oxidant that kills most micro organisms. He said that an improper use of chlorine in water was one of the main dangers to human health. When contacted, WASA Managing Director Pervez Iftikhar was not available for comments. However, Lahore Development Authority (LDA) Director General Irfan Ali said he had already directed Wasa to start chlorinating water at the tubewells. He said there wasn’t any shortage of liquid chlorine and Wasa had provided the required amount of chlorine at every tubewell. To a question about delay in award of a tender for purchase of 200 Chlorinators, the DG LDA said he had recently assumed office would look into the matter shortly. To another question, he said there were different methods of chlorination and he would not spare any negligence by Wasa in this regard.

This story was published in Daily The News on Tuesday, May 27, 2008.

Hefty grants to clubs but NO to environment

2008-06-24T05:53:00.000-07:00

By Ali Raza
LAHORE: Besides spending Rs 808.326 million on advertising the policies and programs of the PML-Q government, former Punjab chief minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi also gave hefty grants to big clubs such as Lahore Gymkhana Club and other private institutions. All these funds were given under the head of Grants in Aid and its total volume was Rs 2,349,247,000. Under this head, the Punjab CM can give grants to deserving persons, organizations and institutions.The supplementary budget document revealed that the government paid Rs 3,000,000 to M/s Shadab Productions and Marketing Solutions, Grant in Aid for the payment of Special Advertizments published in CNN Traveler Magazine (Rs 1,940,000), funds for Punjab Publicity Campaigns (Rs 46,303,000), funds for Punjab Publicity Campaign (Rs 144,247,000), funds for Media dues pertaining various communication campaigns (Rs 94,386,000), Grant in Aid to Punjab publicity campaign (Rs 20,898,000), funds for the payment of advertisement bills of print and electronic media (Rs 146,624,000), funds for advertisement bills of print and electronic media of publicity campaign (Rs 1,230,000), funds for clearance of publicity campaigns (Rs 85,341,000), funds for the payment of advertisement bills ( Rs 150,000,000), funds for the payment of publicity bills to CNN Traveler Magazine (Rs 1,200,000) and funds for advertisement bills for payment of publicity campaign (Rs 113,157,000).The former CM continued helping out the Pakistan Institute of National Affairs (PINA) and gave a grant of Rs 2.5 million to the private institute. In the year 2006-07, the government gave PINA a grant of around Rs 1 million. The former Chief Minister also gave a grant for payment to professional fee to S.M Zafar (Rs 3,00,000).The CM also gave Rs 1 million to Pakistan National Forum, Rs 1 million as Grant in Aid to Nazria Pakistan Foundation, Rs 250,000 as Grant in Aid to Masood Khadarposh Trust and Rs 200,000 as Grant in Aid to Idara-e-Tasneef-o-Adab.The former CM also obliged big entertainment clubs, which are not made for ordinary citizens. Common citizens are not allowed to enter these clubs and the managements of these clubs are already charging hefty amounts from their members as membership fee and annual fees. As per the book, the former CM gave a donation of Rs 50,000,000 to Lahore Gymkhana Club, a grant in aid amounting to Rs 5,000,000 to Cosmopolitan Club, Bagh-e-Jinnah and Rs 10,000,000 as Grant in Aid to the Model Town Club.The former CM also spent huge amount on security of VVIP personalities while renovation of various blocks and portions of Governor’s House was also done from the amount of Grants in Aid. The spendings included purchase of a Toyota Land Cruiser for VVIP Security for Special branch (Rs 15,800,000), funds for enhancement of security for Governor/Chief Minister and other important personalities in Punjab (Rs 244,750,000), installation of fire fighting equipments and smoke detector in the main buildings of Governor House, Lahore (Rs 1,457,000), installation of automatic security barrier at main gate of Governor House (Rs 720,000), construction of VIP Hanger at Lahore Airport (Rs 32,223,000), renovation of kitchen at Governor House (Rs 7,605,000) and furnishing of Darbar Hall and Mirror Room in Governor’s House (Rs 2,000,000).The former CM also expressed his love and affection with Art and Culture and he also helped out artists and cultural events. The important donations made by former CM included a grant of Rs 1,775,000 to the widow of late Munir Niazi, Grant in Aid to All Pakistan Music Conference ( Rs 1,000,000), funds for participation of Punjab Cultural Float at Pakistan Day Prade on 23rd March 2008 (Rs 1,056,000), Grant in aid to Rana Muhammad Ashraf (Rana Bahi Shahi Pandan Walay (Rs 196,000), Financial Assistance to Muhammad Javed alias Kodoo (Rs 300,000), Financial assistance in favor of Kishan Lal Bheel, Cholistan Folk Singer ( Rs 100,000), Grant in aid to President, Photographic Art Society of Pakistan (Rs 4,00,000), Grant in aid to the widow of Classical Singer Ustad Assad Amanat Ali Khan (Rs 1,500,000), Grant in Aid to Patiala Pipe band visiting and performing in UK (Rs 1,000,000), Grant in aid to Jameel Parwana and Naseer Mastana, Folk singers (Rs 4,00,000) and Grant in aid to World Association of Flower Arrangers for hosting the 9th world flower show (Rs 15,000,000).Other important grants made by the former CM included a grant in aid to Muhammad Salman Haider, a student of Atchison College (Rs 1,093,000), payment of pending liabilities of M/s Mahmood Party Decorators Food Supply Company (Rs 576,000), Grant to Punjab Golf Association (Rs 1,000,000), Grant to Lawn tennis Association (Rs 2,500,000), Grant in aid to Asian American School (Rs 2,500,000), Grant to Sughra Shafi Medical Complex, Narowal (Rs 2,000,000), installation of two Ultra Cushion Tennis Courts, Purchase of Training Equipment, flood lights and protective fencing at bagh-e-Jinnah Tennis Area (Rs 8,135,000) and construction of Pervaiz Elahi Hospital at Talagang, Chakwal (Rs 30,000,000).The former CM also gave grant of Rs 1,500,000 for gift packets to 500 Christian families on Christmas while a grant of Rs 2,500,000 was also given for holding a Christmas Function at CM House.

This story is published in daily The News on Tuesday, June 17, 2008.

Lahore tops in adulterated milk, beverages, food sale

2008-06-24T05:48:00.000-07:00

By Ali Raza
LAHORITES could not dream of having pure and hygienic milk and milk products as both stood on top of 10 most adulterated items in the provincial metropolis during 2007.
Adulteration and contamination in edibles especially beverages, bottled water, cooking oil/ghee, spices, tea, sweeteners like sugar, sweetmeats and bakery products, milk and milk products and fruit and vegetable products are constant threat to the health of residents of the City. This is rampant despite routine checking by the Food department of City District Government Lahore (CDGL) and the menace persists. No city locality is considered free of presence and open sale of such edibles. Adulteration has keeping up pace with the mushrooming of raw and prepared food outlets like bakeries and eateries in the poor and middle class localities of the City. Sources in Food department of CDGL told The News that milk is the most adulterated item. Out of 1734 samples, 1043 samples were found adulterated during 2007, which makes 60.15 per cent milk available in the City adulterated, the sources added. Likewise, milk products stood second in being adulterated in 2007 as out of 774 samples, 375 were found adulterated. The adulterated samples were 48.45 per cent of the total samples.Similarly, 1587 samples of beverages were collected out of which 757 or 47.70 per cent were found adulterated. The officials collected 758 samples of cooking oil/ghee out of which 345 samples (45.51 per cent) were found adulterated. Some 327 samples of sweeteners were collected out of which 134 (40.98 per cent) were found adulterated.
Besides, 1070 samples of spices were collected out of which 286 (26.73 per cent) were found adulterated. In the same way, 333 samples of fruit and vegetable products were collected in the year out of which 88 (26.43 per cent) were found adulterated. Food inspectors also collected 331 samples of miscellaneous edibles out of which 106 (32.02 per cent) were declared adulterated. In addition, 1312 samples of sweet meats and bakery products were collected out of which 325 (24.77 per cent) were found adulterated. As many as 396 samples of cereal products were collected out of which 33 (8.33 per cent) were declared adulterated.
Already known for their eating appetite, Lahorites are suffering from serious health threats, which are arising with the increasing adulteration in food items. Food adulteration is resulting in fatal diseases especially relating to heart, liver and stomach.
Majority of the adulterated products are sold at small shops, by roadside vendors and small restaurants and hotels because of their high profit margin. Adulterators are not scared of any legal or punitive action due to the various loopholes in the existing laws.
Majority of adulterators arrested or challaned for the offence easily get bails from courts. Price hike in daily use items, high demand of various products and psyche of considering a specific edible or food item a status symbol also encourage the adulterators to market their products.
For example, the use of mineral water has become a necessity as well as a status symbol due to which producers of adulterated and contaminated bottled drinking water launch their products in middle and lower middle class localities.
Sources claimed that different government departments such as Pakistan Customs, Pakistan Railways, Karachi Port Trust etc are also responsible for adulteration. They said these departments confiscate different imported items like food chemicals, tinned food products, medicines and medicinal substances/materials for use in food. All such confiscated items are placed in open sheds undergoing vagaries of weather, which badly affects their chemical composition.
The sources also said many of these confiscated items remain in the sheds for years before being auctioned after which these are sold in open market and used by the producers of food items. Though the percentage of such items is very low but the phenomenon exists, the sources maintained.
In this connection, Food district officer Ch Munir Ahmed said the department submitted 8406 challans in all the six courts dealing with Food-related offences in Lahore during 2007. Till now, the department did not get any feedback in this aspect, he added.
He further said the Food department seized a large quantity of misbranded, fake and adulterated edibles, which included beverages of international brands (69,955 bottles of different sizes), fruit juices (14,641 packets/bottles), local Made soda water (45546 bottles), chilli, turmeric and coriander powders etc (14,074 kilogram), red chilli (238 packets), Kashmiri Mirch (40-kg), loose tea (1167-kg), 2,253 tea packets, 345-litre tomato ketchup, 43-kg food colour, 70-kg butter and ghee, 178 packets and other items.
He further added 34 factories manufacturing fake beverages of International brand names were sealed, 33 stockists selling such beverages and mineral water including a Nimko manufacturing unit were sealed.
CDGL has constructed a new food-checking laboratory where new and latest equipment was installed and trained professionals were hired to chemically examine foodstuff, he stated and maintained the laboratory has started working and would help in eliminating the menace from the provincial capital.
The department has issued 1904 health cards to various hotels and restaurants whereas 266 notices were issued to different hotels and restaurants for getting health insurance, he mentioned and said around Rs 1.3 million has been collected through 471 challans to various hotels, restaurants and other food related business for various violations.

This story is published in Daily The News on Thursday, January 03, 2008.

Lahore Fort in a shambles

2008-06-24T05:40:00.000-07:00

By Ali Raza and Shahid Hussain

LAHORE: Pakistan's premier world heritage site built by Mughals in 1560s, Lahore Fort, is in a shambles as the Punjab Archaeology Department is yet to start a major conservation plan.
As per different sources, the fort is 1,400 feet long and 1,115 feet wide and in 1981, it was inscribed as a Unesco World Heritage Site along with the Shalamar Gardens. Different kinds of pollution especially industrial and vehicle emissions are the major threats being faced by the fort. Hundreds of people local and foreigners daily visit this grandeur of Mughal era and witness different stages of neglect on the part of the authorities. Fort's main attractions are Sheesh Mahal, (Palace of Mirrors), Diwan-i-Aam (Court for the Commons), lawns, old wells, Hathi Paer (Steps for Elephants), Mughal and Sikh museums, Khalwat Khana, Diwan-i-Khas (Hall of Special Audience), Naulakha Pavilion, Daulat Khana-i-Jehangir, Khawabgah (a dream place or sleeping area), Shahi Hamam (bath), Moti Masjid (Pearl Mosque) and Alamgiri Gate.
Constructed in a typical Mughal architectural style, the outer walls, which were once decorated with blue kashi tiles of Persian origin have become 'dens' of drug addicts and vendors as many have displayed their products on them.
Jahangir's Quadrangle inside fort, Dewan-i-Aam, Daulat Khana, Khark Sing Hawali, Akbari Mahal, Dewan-i-Khas, Khawabgah Shahjahan, Kala Burj, Lal Burj, basement of Fort, Haveli Mai Jindan, Ladies mosque inside Fort, Alamgiri gate, Loh Mander, Moti Masjid Makatib Khana, Musamman Darwaza, North East Burj and Suit Jahangir's Quadrangle, Royal bath, Paien Bagh Area, Shish Mahal Surrounding, Arz Gha, Wooden Bridge, Western Suit, Floor of Akbari Gate, Second Storey of Sheesh Mahal, PIATR Area, Old Wells and Picture Wall are in a very bad condition and need immediate conservation.
Contemporary to the Agra Fort in India, Lahore Fort is also facing a big problem of encroachments around it. According to the original map of 1846 and wooden model of 1925 lying at Albert Victoria Museum London, there was a boundary wall around this monument which included Circular Road, areas of historical Badshahi Mosque, Marhi Ranjeet Singh, Lady Willington hospital, Ali Park, Rim Market and Tibi City area. This boundary wall does not exist now and its recovery or new built is also a difficult task.
Director General Punjab Archaeology Department Oriya Maqbool Jan said that the monument would wear a new look very soon as a new master plan of Rs 300 million had been made for its preservation. "The amount would be spent in eight years for the preservation of various places and giving a new green look to the lawns of fort," he said.
He said that conservation work on the historical Sheesh Mahal was under way. To question about the deteriorated paintings and flower work on the walls, he said as per international rules, the walls could not be repainted. "We can only conserve them in the state they are," Oriya said.
Various basements in the forts were restored, but were not open for public due to security reasons, he said adding that only 12 security guards were present to guard the monument. He urged the media to raise awareness in the public about the historical monuments.

Bird species facing extinction

2008-06-24T05:20:00.000-07:00

By Ali Raza
LAHORE: At least two bird species — common myna and crow — are facing a serious threat as the Punjab Wildlife Department has failed to check the business of capturing these birds from rural and suburban areas and selling them in almost all big cities of the country.
All species of birds play a crucial role in maintenance of the eco-system and environment of any country, and any kind of disturbance in it can be harmful. A number of people could be seen selling common mynas, crows and other birds daily at public places and markets. People buy these sparrows mostly to set them free. The main purpose of this act is to earn goodness, while many set these birds free to present offering after their prayers are answered.
A common sparrow is sold for Rs 10, a myna for Rs 15 and a crow for Rs 25 in the market. The business is flourishing as people believe setting free sparrows will bring them prosperity and save them from evil forces. These birds are mostly sold at Fawwara Chowk, Shadman, Urdu Bazaar, Samanabad, Canal Bank Road etc. Various sparrow-sellers are seen doing their business near shrines and tombs in the city. They roam the areas on foot with small cages, full of sparrows or larks, placed on their heads or fixed on their bicycles.
Caging domestic sparrows, mynas and crows is an illegal activity. The activity is disturbing the ecology and environment of the provincial capital, said an environmentalist, Dr Syed Shahid Ali, while talking to The News. He said these people mostly catch these birds from Shahdara or other suburban areas, keep them in cages for three or four days and later sell them in Shadman or any other areas. Even if they are released there, it is feared these birds will not be able to reach their nests. He said while these birds in are captivity, their baby birds may starve to death and the entire family system will be broken. He said catching sparrows, mynas and crows during their breeding season is very dangerous. He urged the departments concerned to immediately take action against those involved in this illegal business.
Riaz, a sparrow-seller, said he was doing this business for the last two years. He said he started the business after he failed to find any reasonable job. He said every day he fixes trap along the bank of River Ravi to catch sparrows and mynas. “Sometimes, when I fail to catch any sparrow, I purchase them from a Wildlife Department official for Rs 3 each,” he revealed but refused to give the name of the official. The said official has hired many individuals to catch sparrows and mynas, he said. Wildlife Assistant Director Javed told The News that selling of sparrows is illegal. He said the Wildlife Department had already launched a campaign against the sparrow-sellers and, thus far, many had been arrested and presented before the court. The court fined them and released all the birds. He said those bird-sellers were fined Rs 3,000 to 5,000. To a question he denied that any Wildlife Department official was involved in selling of birds. District Officer (Environment) Tariq Zaman said the sparrow-catching business didn’t fall under the jurisdiction of CDGL. He said strict action would be taken against those involved in the business if the Wildlife Department asked the CDGL to do so.

This story was published in Daily The News on Saturday, February 02, 2008.

Noise Pollution

2008-06-23T04:28:00.000-07:00

By Ali Raza
LAHORE: The surging sale of generators due to the ongoing load shedding has increased the noise and air pollution to many folds in different residential and commercial areas of the provincial metropolis.
The Lahorites are already facing serious threats from the rising levels of noise pollution on different city roads and crossings especially on Ferozpur Road, Multan Road, Jail Road, The Mall, Canal Bank Road, Wahdat Road, Circular Road and etc.
Use of generators was once confined to commercial and industrial areas in the city but following the ongoing load shedding people has started installing generators at their shops, offices and residences.
Earlier the people living in residential areas were spared from the pollution caused by generators in the past but now the situation has changed because of the increased load shedding. Presently the generators have many folds the level of noise and air pollution in residential localities.
One can hear the heavy noise of generators in almost every residential locality during the hours of electricity breakdowns. In most residential areas, people used to place their generators either in their porch or at their rooftop so that they can save themselves from the noise. Majority of the users have not installed silencers on their generators while majority is also using diesel generators. Generators are also installed outside business establishments, banks, offices, shops, markets and etc.
On the other hand, the rules and regulations of Environmental Protection Department are not clear regarding installation of generators at homes or at small scale. The rules only cover commercial as well as industrial sectors and these consumers are bound to get an NOC from the department.
A senior official of EPD while talking over the issue said the department has already directed the telecommunication companies installing BTS Towers in the province to give priority to UPS system at their sites. He said the second priority is gas generators and the diesel generators are the last choice. In case of a diesel generator the company is bound to install silencer and other equipment on the generator to control its sound as well as emissions.
Another official of EPD said the noise releasing from the generators should not be more than 70 decibels. Talking about the public complaints, he said the department can take action in case it received a complaint. He said the team of EPD will conduct a survey of the premises and gauge the levels of noise and air emissions and in case of a violation the generator would be sealed.
Dr Omar Khan, a TNT specialist said the human ear is a delicate and fragile anatomical structure. He said usually the muscles of the ear were relaxed and can have a serious damage due to a sudden bang or a constant sound. “Sustained noise over a period of time can engender deafness in the form of gradual losses in hearing. This is the most common loss in teenagers today listening to loud music,” he said.
He claimed that the noise level has already crossed the permissible limits of the National Environment Quality (NEQ) standards in majority of the city congested areas as the noise limits in the areas such as Batti Gate, Railway Station, Katchari, Mozang, Charing Cross and Yateem Khana Chowk is between 102 to 114 decibels.
The rising level of noise pollution is one of the major sources of heart, mental and ear diseases among the Lahorites, he said adding voice unit beyond 75 decibel become injurious to human health. He further said that hospitals and educational institutions are among the places badly affected by noise pollution and now unchecked installation of generators in the residential localities will prove fatal for the people.
District Officer (Environment) while talking over the issue said the CDGL’s environment department received a number of complaints regarding the issue. He said people are installing generators and UPS system due to the increased load shedding. He said a special team had already been constituted to conduct a comprehensive survey of the city after which the CDGL will formulate a policy regarding installation of generators in residential localities. He, however, said the residents using generators should install silencers on their generators. He also urged the people to use UPS system instead of generators.

This story is published in daily The News on March 31, 2008

Students drinking polluted water

2008-06-22T07:12:00.000-07:00

By Ali Raza
LAHORE: Health of hundred of students is at risk as drinking water in four different schools and a college contained bacterial contamination and declared unfit for human consumption by the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA)
Some months back Punjab Environmental Protection Department (EPD) in a random sampling detected bacterial contamination in different teaching hospitals and colleges included King Edward Medical College, Mayo Hospital, Ganga Ram Hospital, Fatimah Jinnah Medical College, Jinnah Hospital, Allama Iqbal Medical Colleges, Sheikh Zaid Hospital, Kinnaird College University, Lahore College Women University, APWA College, Services Hospital, New Kashmir Girls High School and Government Degree College for Women in Kot Khwaja Saeed.
Polluted drinking water has already become a serious threat to Lahorites as majority of localities in the provincial capital are getting water with bacterial contamination resulting in spread of different diseases especially of stomach. Water contamination is also resulting in illnesses such as diarrhea, typhoid, intestinal worms and hepatitis among the students and teachers of these colleges as well as among the patients and their attendants.
WASA officials said the common bacterial contamination found in the defective samples was the presence of Coliform Bacteria, which according to the WHO standards should be 0 in 100 ml. Officials said presence of Coliform Bacteria in water is a clear indicator that sewer water is mixed in the water distribution system.
Coliform Bacteria are abundant in feces of warm-blooded animals. In most instances, Coliforms themselves are not the cause of sickness, but they are easy to culture and their presence is used to indicate that other pathogenic organisms of fecal origin may be present. Fecal pathogens include bacteria, viruses, protozoa or parasites.
Following the increasing complaints of the masses regarding water contamination, WASA recently collected tap water samples from different areas of the city. During the random sampling, WASA detected water contamination in various localities including five samples from schools and a college.
Two samples were collected from Dawn Public School, Saeed Park, Shahdara and both were found highly contaminated. The only sample of Govt Boys High School, Shahdara was found contaminated. The sample collected from Laureate Lahore Senior School 152, Ali Block, New Garden Town was also found contaminated.
The water sample taken from the tap of the kitchen of Fast College, Faisal Town was also found highly contaminated while the sample collected from the tap of left side of the Main Gate of the Fast College, Car Parking, Faisal Town was also found contaminated.
Rest of the samples found contaminated are collected from Tap R/O Muhammad Younas Mughal H # 7, Main Road Qazi Park, Shahdara, Tap H # 1082, CII, China Scheme, Tap H # 2, S # 106, Qasir Town, Shahdara, Tap H # 15, S # 2S, Saeed Park, Shahdara, Tap H # 142, S # 98, Qasim Park, Shahdara, P.S.P. Qaisar Town, Shahdara, Tap H # 125, Block DII, Gulshan Ravi, Tap H # 1152, S # 25, Madina Colony, Gulshan Ravi, Tap H # 6, S # 25, Madina Colony, Gulshan Ravi, Tap H # 6, DI, Gulshan Ravi, Tap H # 41-A, Ali Block, New Garden Town, Tap H # 4, Akbar Street, Javen Hana, New Garden Town, Tap H # 71, Ali Block, New Garden Town, Tap H#142, Habib Ullah Road,Garhi Shahu, Tap H # 86, Kachi Abadi, Habib Ullah Road, Tap H # 11, S # 13, Mohammad Nagar, Tap Moneeb Autos Workshop, Mohammad Nagar, Tap H # 307, S # 4, Marzi Pura, Tap H # 36, S # 2B, Saeed Park, Shahdara, Tap H # 29, S # 2, Saeed Park, Shahdara, Tap H # 6, S # 9, Bilal Gunj and Tap Office Union Concil District Govt.

This news is published in The News on May 30, 2008.

Industries polluting ground water

2008-06-22T07:07:00.000-07:00

By Ali Raza
LAHORE: Majority of the industries situated on Multan Road are contaminating the ground water by discharging their toxic waste water in the ground as well as irrigation channels.
The fact was revealed after the District Coordination Officer visited the area of Mohalanwal on June 15, 2008 from where the CDGL collected four water samples and out of which three were found highly contaminated with both chemical and biological ingredients.
Sources said after the horrifying results of the water samples, the DCO directed the CDGL’s environment department to initiate a massive crackdown against the industries involved in polluting ground water.
The CDGL’s Environment department kicked off the crackdown on June 16, 2008 and till June 19, 2008 the department checked over 34 industrial units. During the checking majority of the industries including multi nationals were found polluting the ground water reserves by direct injection of toxic waste water or by discharging the hazardous chemicals and sewer water in nearby irrigation channels.
The list of industries checked and action taken against them by the District Officer (Environment) is as under: Venus Pharma was discharging untreated waste water into the irrigation channel and the CDGL confiscated the mobile suction pump of the industry and disconnected waste water outlets.
JEI Switchgears (Pvt) Ltd was issued a show cause notice for discharging waste water of phosphiting process into the public sewer. Naveed Brothers (Textile&Peter Engine) was also issued a show cause notice for discharging their oily waste into an open land.
Metro Cash & Carry Pakistan (Pvt) Ltd was also among the industries polluting the ground water as it was directly injecting its untreated waste water in the ground. The CDGL issued a show cause notice to the Metro Cash & Carry Pakistan for this violation.
Associates Technology (Pt) Ltd was discharging untreated waste water from de-rusting, degreasing and galvanizing into a nearby graveyard and open land. The CDGL staff sealed their galvanizing section. FMC United (Pvt) Ltd was injecting its untreated waste water from laundry, washrooms and spillage into the aquifer and the CDGL sealed its laundry and main power supply section.
Star Laboratories (Human & Veterinary Medicine) was served a show cause notice for discharging its untreated waste water into public sewer and sub soil water. The soakage pits and wells of the industry were also demolished by the CDGL staff.
Usman Fabrics was discharging its untreated waste water into the irrigation channel and also injecting the harmful liquids in the ground water directly. The CDGL removed its mobile suction pump and turbine besides disconnecting its water outlets. Shehla Tubasum Fabrics was also discharging its untreated hazardous waste water into the nearby irrigation channel besides injecting the waste water directly in the ground. The CDGL confiscated two turbine pumps of the industry and also disconnected its water outlet channels.
PA Fabrics, Rehan Gulzar Fabrics, Anwer & Sons, IU Services (Pvt) Ltd, Neha knit (Pvt) Ltd, Chuadry Fabrics, MN Fabrics, Fabric Knitwear and Subhan Fabrics are also discharging their untreated waste water into the irrigation channel besides injecting their hazardous chemical waste directly in the ground. The CDGL confiscated their turbines and disconnected their water outlets.
Naveed Agencies (Waiving unit), Scotish Knitwear, Cake Walk (Pvt) LtdAyesha Woolen Mills, Remington Pharmaceutical (Pvt) Ltd, BK Textile and Kyber Petroleum and CNG Services were discharging their untreated waste water into the irrigation channel and also injecting the harmful liquids in the ground water directly. The CDGL removed their turbines and disconnected their water outlets. The CDGL also issued a show cause notice to Kyber Petroleum and CNG Services.
The CDGL team confiscated three turbine pumps of Standard Fabrics/Ferdous Industry for discharging waste water into the Lahore Canal as well as injecting into the ground water. The team also disconnected all water outlets of the industry.
Famous Knitwear was also discharging its hazardous waste water in the Lahore Canal and the CDGL sealed centrifuge pump, confiscated a turbine and disconnected water outlets of the industry. Famous Knitwear was also injecting waste water in the ground water. Qureshi Towel was also discharging its untreated waste water in Lahore Canal besides injecting it in the ground directly. The CDGL sealed its dying section, confiscated a turbine and disconnected water outlets.
Hino Pak Motors, Ad Master, Hamid Bhai & Brothers, Hino Lahore (Pvt) Ltd and Pharmadic (Pvt) Ltd were also polluting the ground water by discharging their waste water in nearby irrigation channels and also in ground water. The CDGL confiscated their turbines and peter engines and also disconnected their water outlets.
Sources said following the aggressive campaign of the CDGL, a 40 member delegation of Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) met the DCO Lahore here Friday and requested him to stop the ongoing crackdown. Sources said the DCO refused to end the operation as well as to return the sealed and confiscated equipment of the industries polluting ground water.
He offered the industrialists of Multan Road of financial help for constructing a common and separate drain for industries and asked them to submit a proposal under the CDGL’s Citizen Community Board program. The DCO also directed the industrialists to submit undertakings that they will not pollute ground water in future.
Meanwhile the DCO also constituted a three member committee comprising DO (Environment) and one representative each from LCCI and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to evaluate all the industries in the provincial metropolis regarding safe disposal of waste water. The committee will personally visit every factory to check any irregularity. He also directed the industries which are disposing off their toxic waste water in irrigation channels and ground water to submit a plan regarding safe disposal of their waste water.

This news is published in Daily The News on June 20, 2008.

Hospital Waste---Official confession

2008-06-20T09:12:00.000-07:00

By Ali Raza
Lahore: Majority of the hospitals operating in the provincial capital have no proper arrangements and administrative checks on the disposal of infectious and radioactive wastes consequently the staff of these hospitals are selling waste, which is being recycled, reused and repacked.
This was revealed in a letter written to the Secretary Health by the District Coordination Officer (DCO) here Wednesday. Sources said the DCO wrote the letter after conducting two successive raids on the mafia involved in the sale and purchase of hospital waste in the city.
Copy of the letter with the subject “Improper disposal of hospital infectious and radioactive waste” was also sent to Secretary Environment Punjab, District Nazim Lahore, Director General EPA and Executive District Officer (Health) Lahore.
The letter said that the unattended infectious waste is a threat for infectious and contagious diseases. It said the CDGL has launched a campaign against the persons involved in such activities/business and have also arrested some.
“According to the arrested criminals, government hospitals that are mainly involved in this illegal practice are Children Hospital, Jinnah Hospital, general Hospital and Mayo Hospital”, the letter claimed.
The DCO, in the letter, requested the Secretary Health Punjab to direct all government hospitals to follow Hospital Waste Management Rules 2005. As per these rules it is mandatory for every hospital, pathological lab, sanatorium to notify a “Hospital Waste Management Team (HWMT)”
The letter said that these hospitals may further be directed to send their HWMT notification to the undersigned at the earliest so that well coordinated action plan be devised.
“Furthermore, it is recommended that focal person in every government hospital be designated who should be responsible for the management of hospital waste and should also keep a check on the transportation of infectious waste to the incineration facility,” the DCO concluded in the letter.

Story published in Daily The News on 09-10-2007.

Story published in Daily The News on 20-11-2007.

An on going SCAM........

By Ali Raza
Lahore: Failure in implementation of Hospital Waste Management Rules 2005 by the City District Government Lahore (CDGL) and other concerned authorities has converted the provincial metropolis in a hub of hospital waste recycling industry, which posed a serious threat to the people as well as the workers involved in this industry.
Reuse of hospital waste posed serious threat to the health of citizens besides the workers and other people affiliated with the recycling industry in Lahore. If infectious waste is not destroyed properly, it would cause many fatal diseases like Hepatitis and AIDS, doctors said adding the waste also caused skin, respiratory and eye diseases.
Sources in Environmental Protection Department (EPD) said a recent crackdown on big dealers involved in recycling hospital waste revealed that private parties are bringing tons of contagious and infectious hospital waste from across the province in the city for recycling purposes.
Sources said the rackets involved in this illegal trade are bringing hospital waste packets in sacks through trucks. Majority of the plastic recycling industry is situated along the Bund Road, Shahdara and North Lahore and the waste leaked in the open market was supplied to majority of the plastic recycling industry in closed trucks and other vehicles reflecting the ‘strong ties’ of the hospital staffers and the mafia people.
Sources said the plastic industry is manufacturing various items from the recycled hospital waste, which included plastic furniture, plastic toys, plastic utensils, bottles and jars and etc. They said the phenomenon was a new revelation for the authorities as earlier it was considered that the hospital waste of local hospitals is leaked out and sold in the local markets to be used in the plastic industry.
EPD sources revealed that the illegal trade is booming in the city and a large number of plastic recycling factories have been established in the city. Majority of these factories are established in small houses and converted the hospital waste in small plastic pieces. Many factories are also involved in washing of the used hospital waste such as syringes, urine bags, glucose bottles and blood bags, EPD sources claimed adding the mafia involved in sale and purchase of hazardous and infectious hospital waste is earning more than Rs 15 million per day out of which the value of Lahore’s waste is more than Rs 5 million per day.
Sources in City District Government Lahore (CDGL) said only 10 to 15 per cent waste generated by the major city hospitals is incinerated while rest goes to the plastic recycle industry. They said in Lahore the total generation of hospital waste is between 8 to 10 tones.
EPD officials said the department has sent notices to majority of the city hospitals for not complying with section 31 of the Pakistan Environment Protection Act (PEPA) of 1997. The section requires all hospitals to dispose their waste properly according to the Hospital Waste Management Rules (HWMR) 2005.
All the hospitals—public or private are bound to handle and dispose of their waste as per the Hospital Waste Management Rules, 2005. Sources said majority of the private hospitals, clinics and pathological laboratories operating in the municipal limits are not observing these rules.
Naseemur Rehman, a senior official of EPD said the Punjab government has taken up the issue seriously and the department has already directed all the 35 District Officers (Environment) to closely monitor the hospitals in their respective districts.
He said the Dos were also directed to get printed the Hospital Waste Management Rules 2005 and sent them with a cover letter to every big hospital, lab and clinic in their areas besides directing the hospitals, labs and clinics to immediately form monitoring teams as per these rules.

Story published in Daily The News on 21-10-2007.

Smogy Lahore

2008-06-20T08:42:00.000-07:00

By Ali Raza
Lahore: After the City District Government Lahore (CDGL) has failed in taking any effective step to control air pollution, Smog is emerging as a major pollutant in the provincial metropolis resulting in serious health hazards especially diseases relating to eyes, lungs and skin.
Sources in Environment Protection Department said Smog is the chemical reaction of sunlight, nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOC's) in the atmosphere, which leaves airborne particles (called particulate matter) and ground-level ozone.
They said Ozone (O3) is a gas that can form and react under the action of light and that is present in two layers of the atmosphere i.e. first high in the atmosphere, which forms a layer that shields the Earth from ultraviolet rays and second at the ground level.
This ground level layer of Ozone is formed from other pollutants and can react with other substances, in both cases under the action of light. Environmentalists termed Ozone (O3) as the most important photochemical oxidant. They said it is a secondary pollutant formed when precursor pollutants such as Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) and Volatile Organic Compounds react under the action of light. They also said that Ozone is also transported long distances in the atmosphere and is therefore considered a trans-boundary problem.
Because the formation of ozone requires light, ozone concentrations fluctuate depending on season and time of day, with higher concentrations in the summer and in the afternoons.
Smog is a problem in a number of cities and continues to harm human health. Ground-level ozone, Sulfur dioxide, Nitrogen dioxide Carbon monoxide are especially harmful for senior citizens, children, and people with heart and lung conditions such as emphysema, bronchitis, and asthma. It can inflame breathing passages, decreasing the lungs' working capacity, and causing shortness of breath, pain when inhaling deeply, wheezing, and coughing.
Data collected by The News from Environmental Protection Department (EPD) revealed that the level of Ozone started rising after 8.00 a.m. At noon it touches the peak of about 95 ppm and afterwards it started declining and till 7.00 p.m. it comes to 1 ppm. The WHO standard level of ozone is 60 ppm.
As per the US Air Quality index, eight hour average ozone concentrations of 85 to 104 is described as "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups", 105 to 124 as "unhealthy" and 125 to 404 as "very unhealthy".
Sources in EPD said the level of O3 is increasing in various city localities. They said instead of reducing the number of two stroke rickshaws, which are more than 45000 in the provincial metropolis, the CDGL banned these rickshaws on The Mall, Jail Road, Airport Road, Cantonment and Defence.
They said each rickshaw emits more than half liter unburned Mobil oil in the air while the newly introduced CNG rickshaws are also releasing unburned oil though less in comparison with the two stroke in the air. Sources said pollution level has decreased on The Mall and Jail Road but it has doubled on other roads where these rickshaws are plying.
A study of The Mall by the EPD revealed that the level of other pollutions such as NOx, VOC, PM10, Sox and etc touches its peak between 7.00 p.m. to 6.00 a.m. and after the sunrise these gases start reacting with each other resulting in formation of Ozone (O3). The study clearly suggested that Ozone (O3) is being formulated on The Mall Road after the vehicular traffic starts and continued till sun set after which other pollutants occupied the air, which means that The Mall is polluted 24 hours a day, said Director EPD, Dr Shagufta Shahjehan while talking with The News.
She said short term exposure to Ozone peaks can temporarily affect the lungs, the respiratory tract, and the eyes. It can also increase the susceptibility to inhaled allergens. Long term exposure to relatively low concentrations of ozone can reduce lung function, while high concentrations of ozone can be more harmful especially in children as it can affect the lungs growth in children, she added.
Dr Nusrat Hashmi, a family physician said the possible threats of smog vary with exposure. During short term, high intensity exposure, health effects can include irritation of the nose and throat, coughing, painful breathing, and reduced lung function, he said adding people who exercise late in the afternoons and early in the evenings - the time when smog is usually at its highest concentration - can expect pain while inhaling, as well as the more common symptoms associated with ozone exposure.
Long term exposure to smog at low levels can affect lung elasticity and the lungs' ability to resist disease, effectively aging lungs prematurely. Children, the aged, asthmatics, and sufferers of other chronic lung diseases are more susceptible to smog effects than the general population, he maintained.
As the doctors and environmentalists suggested Ozone (O3) is very dangerous for the human health especially the children, it is pertinent to mention here that a number of big and small educational institutes are present on The Mall and its surroundings, which clearly means that the children of these educational institutes are extremely exposed to the hazardous impacts of this kind of air pollution.
Experts said in modern countries, if the smog or ozone level crosses a certain limit they closed vehicular traffic besides closing down the schools to safeguard their future generations. But here in Pakistan no such concept exists. Experts concluded that individuals can help reduce smog formation by reducing activities which cause or require the emission of NOx and VOC. In particular, individuals can help by using alternative transportation i.e. walking, cycling, mass transit and ride sharing.

This article was published in Daily The News on November 17, 2007.

Hospital waste--A real threat for Lahore

2008-06-20T08:30:00.000-07:00

By Ali Raza
Lahore: Most of the private hospitals, clinics and pathological laboratories in the provincial metropolis are operating without ensuring safe handling and disposal of contaminated, toxic and chemical waste resulting in spread of contiguous and other diseases among the masses.
Sources in City District Government Lahore (CDGL) as well as Punjab Health Department said all the hospitals—public or private are bound to handle and dispose of their waste as per the Hospital Waste Management Rules, 2005. They said majority of the private hospitals, clinics and pathological laboratories operating in the municipal limits are not observing these rules.
In August 2005 the Federal Ministry of Environment notified Hospital Waste Management Rules, sources said adding all the government hospitals had enforced these rules but still a lot to be done to stop leakage of waste products in outside markets for reuse and for its safe handling and disposal.
A senior official in CDGL said the management of hospital waste poses to be a major problem in the provincial metropolis as the incinerating capacity is not enough and roughly about 40 per cent of the total generated waste can not be disposed of. He said infectious waste can cause diseases like Hepatitis A & B, AIDS, Typhoid, Boils, etc.
He said about 25 tones of waste is produced daily in Punjab. The rate of generation is 1.8 kilograms per day per bed. The province houses 250 hospitals with a total capacity of 41,000 beds. Besides the hospitals, private clinics and pathological labs also generate about 10 tones of waste on daily basis across the province, he added.
The hospital waste includes infectious material containing pathogens in sufficient concentrations or quantities that, if exposed, can cause diseases. This includes waste from surgery and autopsies on patients with infectious diseases. Other types of wastes are Shapers such as disposable needles, syringes, saws, blades, broken glasses, nails or any other item that could cause a cut, tissues, organs, body parts, human flesh, fetuses, blood, body fluids, drugs, chemicals, solids, liquids and gaseous waste contaminated with radioactive substances used in diagnosis and treatment of diseases like toxic goiter.
In most of the private hospitals, clinics and pathological labs especially in middle and poor localities the conditions are very pathetic because they did not take any measure for segregation of waste.
Under the Hospital Waste Management Rules, 2005, risk waste shall be separated from non-risk waste at wards, bedsides, operation theatre, laboratory or any other room un the hospital where the waste is generated by a doctor, nurse or other person. The rules clearly mention that all disposable material and medical equipment such as syringes, needles, plastic bottles, drips, blood bags and etc shall be cut or broken so that they can not be used again. It further said that sharps shall be placed in metal or high density plastic containers resistant to penetration and leakage. These containers shall be colored Yellow and marked “Danger! Contaminated Sharps” but most of the private hospitals, clinics and labs did not follow this rule.
About the pharmaceutical waste, the rules clearly stated that large quantities of pharmaceutical waste shall be returned to the suppliers while small quantities shall be crushed and placed in yellow waste. At most of the private hospitals, clinics and labs there is no arrangement to crush such waste and in most cases this type of waste is put in dustbins.
The rules said the chemical waste and waste with high content of mercury or cadmium shall not be incinerated, but shall be placed in chemical resistant containers and sent to specialized treatment facilities. Radioactive waste, which has to be stored to allow decay to background level, shall be placed in waste bags, in a large yellow container or drums. The container or drum shall be labeled showing the radio nuclide’s activity on a given date and the period of storage required and marked “Radioactive Waste” with the radiation symbol. Ironically no such arrangement is seen in most of the private hospitals, clinics and pathological labs.
About waste collection, the rules said sanitary staff and sweepers shall, when handling waste, wear protective clothing at all times including face masks, industrial aprons, leg protectors, industrial boots and disposable or heavy duty gloves. The rules said all waste bags shall be labeled before removal, indicating the point of production and contents and after removing a waste bag from a container, it shall be cleaned properly.
In most cases hospital waste is simply mixed with the municipal waste in collecting bins at roadsides and disposed off similarly. Some waste is simply buried without any appropriate measure.
Disposable syringes and needles are also not disposed off properly. Many patients, who routinely use syringes at home, also do not know how to dispose them off properly. They just throw them in a dustbin or other similar places, because they think that these practices are inexpensive, safe, and easy solution to dispose off a potentially dangerous waste item.
Dr Nusrat Hashmi while talking with The News over the issue said the standard practice of hospital waste disposal is dumping it in the CDGL container wherever situated. He said when waste containing plastics are burnt, Dioxin is produced, which can cause Cancer, birth defects, decreased psychomotor ability, hearing defects, cognitive defects and behavioral alternations in infants.
He said Flies also sit on the uncovered piles of rotting garbage. This promotes mechanical transmissions of fatal diseases like Diarrhea, Dysentery, Typhoid, Hepatitis and Cholera. Under moist conditions, mosquitoes transmit many types of infections, like Malaria and Yellow fever. Similarly, dogs, cats and rats also transmit a variety of diseases, including Plague and Flea born fever, as they mostly live in and around the refuse. A high tendency of contracting intestinal, parasitic and skin diseases is found in workers engaged in collecting refuse, he concluded.
He said the government should take steps to minimize hospital waste and plans and policies should be laid down for this purpose. He said the government should increase the strength of its monitoring and inspection teams to ensure implementation of Hospital Waste Management Rules in all the public and private hospitals as well as clinics and pathological labs.
He said various alternative technologies for incineration are available and those should be applied for proper waste disposal. The most modern technique is Steam Autoclaving, which is widely used and most efficient alternative medical-waste-treatment technology. He said most available autoclaves are designed to handle both biohazard and normal hospital wastes simultaneously. However, they cannot treat pathological animal wastes, chemotherapy wastes, and low level radioactive wastes. These wastes have to be treated separately.
Executive District Officer (EDO) Health Dr Inam-ul-Haq while talking with The News admitted that about 60 per cent of the total generated hospital waste is incinerated while the remaining went untreated. He said the government is making a new policy to net private hospitals, clinics and pathological labs and surveys in every district have been started to gauge the amount of waste being generated in private sector.
Talking about monitoring of private hospitals and clinics he said the district health department is short of staff and can not check all the private hospitals, clinics and pathological labs. He said a summary has already been submitted to the government to get more staff. He said the department has engaged Pakistan Medical Association and other bodies of doctors to motivate doctors for safe handling and disposal of hospital waste. Besides the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) has also served notices to a large number of hospitals and clinics for violation of rules, he concluded.

Article published in Daily The News on May 31, 2007

Air Pollution in Lahore

2008-06-20T08:27:00.000-07:00

By Ali Raza
LAHORE: The year 2008 has started with a rising trend in air pollution as level of different pollutants measured in the provincial metropolis during the first week of the present year are far more than the standards of World Health Organization (WHO).
Officials of Environmental Protection Department (EPD) said the department had installed two fixed Air Quality Monitoring units in the city—one at the Jinnah Hall building and the other in Township area. The main purpose of these two air monitoring units is to monitor and analyze the air quality of the city from two different locations.
This is why one of the monitoring units was installed in an extremely populated area while the other in a relatively less populated locality, officials said adding both the units are given to the department by the Government of Japan as part of an ongoing environment improving project.
The pollutants, which these air monitoring units examined on weekly basis included Ozone, Sulfur Dioxide (SoX), Nitrogen Dioxide (NoX), Carbon Monooxide (CO) and Particulate Matters (PM). Officials said the WHO wanted tighter restrictions on air pollution worldwide to save human lives.
Officials said as per a report of WHO, reducing levels of PM could significantly cut deaths in polluted cities. The WHO’s report maintained that the health problems caused by these air pollutants included infectious respiratory infections, heart diseases, lung cancer, in particular, asthma and other chronic respiratory infections.
Officials said PM are also known as particle pollution or Repairable Dust and is a complex mixture of extremely small particles and liquid droplets. Particle pollution is made up of a number of components, including acids (such as nitrates and sulfates), organic chemicals, metals, and soil or dust particles.
Officials maintained that the size of particles is directly linked to their potential for causing health problems. EPD is concerned about particles that are 10 micrometers in diameter or smaller because those are the particles that generally pass through the throat and nose and enter the lungs. Once inhaled, these particles can affect the heart and lungs and cause serious health effects.
Comparing the level of PM with the standards given by the WHO, officials said in Township the PM level is 114.281 while on The Mall this level is almost more than double. Officials said as per the WHO standards, levels of PM could not exceed 70 micrograms per cubic meter.
“More than half of the approximately two million premature deaths attributed to air pollution occur in developing countries. Air pollution is very high in a number of Asian cities, such as Karachi, New Delhi, Katmandu and Beijing,” officials said while quoting the report.
The WHO standard of NOx is 40 whereas at Township the level of NoX was 99 and at The Mall its level is 148. Officials said the level was very much high from the defined standards. EPD officials said Nitrogen oxides, or NOx, is the generic term for a group of highly reactive gases, all of which contain nitrogen and oxygen in varying amounts. They said NOx is formed when fuel is burned at high temperatures, as in a combustion process and its primary sources are motor vehicles, electric utilities, and other industrial, commercial, and residential sources that burn fuels.
They said NOx and the pollutants formed from NOx can be transported over long distances with winds. This means that problems associated with NOx are not confined to areas where NOx are emitted.
They said NOx causes a wide variety of health and environmental impacts because of various compounds and derivatives in the family of nitrogen oxides, including nitrogen dioxide, nitric acid, nitrous oxide, nitrates, and nitric oxide.
They said it give birth to Ground-level Ozone (Smog). Children, people with lung diseases such as asthma, and people who work or exercise outside are susceptible to adverse effects such as damage to lung tissue and reduction in lung function. They said NOx and sulfur dioxide react with other substances in the air to form acids which fall to earth as rain, fog, snow or dry particles. Acid rains causes deterioration of vehicles, buildings and historical monuments and causes lakes and streams to become acidic and unsuitable for many fish. Nitrate particles and NOx can also block the transmission of light, reducing visibility especially in urban areas.
For Ozone, the WHO standard is 100 while in Township the level was found 17.7 whereas on The Mall, the level of Ozone was more than 70, which the officials said is touching the danger limits. They said Ozone (O3) is a gas composed of three oxygen atoms. It is not usually emitted directly into the air, but at ground-level is created by a chemical reaction between oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOC) in the presence of sunlight. Ozone has the same chemical structure whether it occurs miles above the earth or at ground-level and can be "good" or "bad," depending on its location in the atmosphere.
Officials said in the lower atmosphere, ground-level ozone is considered bad. They said motor vehicle exhaust and industrial emissions, gasoline vapors, and chemical solvents as well as natural sources emit NOx and VOC that help form ozone. Ground-level ozone is the primary constituent of smog. Sunlight and hot weather cause ground-level ozone to form in harmful concentrations in the air.
EPD officials said according to the WHO standards, the level of SOx should not be more than 20 mg/cm while on The Mall, the level of SoX was 94.183 and in Township it was 68.897.
Officials said SOx dissolve easily in water. SOx gases are formed when fuel containing sulfur, such as coal and oil, is burned, and when gasoline is extracted from oil, or metals are extracted from ore. Other sources of SOx are industrial facilities that derive their products from raw materials like metallic ore, coal, and crude oil, or that burn coal or oil to produce process heat.
Officials said SOx causes a wide variety of health and environmental impacts because of the way it reacts with other substances in the air. Particularly sensitive groups include people with asthma who are active outdoors and children, the elderly, and people with heart or lung disease. They said haze also occurred when light is scattered or absorbed by particles and gases in the air. Sulfate particles are the major cause of reduced visibility in the city, they added and maintained that Sox are also responsible for Acid rains.
The level of CO was 2.586 in Township while on The Mall it was 4.395. EPD officials said inhalation of CO causes headache, dizziness, weakness of limbs, confusion, nausea, unconsciousness, and even death. They said 0.04% conc in 2-3 hours or .06% conc. for 1 hour can result in headache and discomfort, 0.1-0.2% will produce throbbing in the head in about 1/2 hour, in 2 hours 0.20-25% causes confusion of the mind, headache, and nausea.
Officials said CO is a colorless, odorless gas that is formed when carbon in fuel is not burned completely. Officials claimed that in Lahore two stroke rickshaws are the major cause of spreading CO. Other sources of CO emissions include industrial processes (such as metals processing and chemical manufacturing) and residential wood burning.
Officials said CO is poisonous for people and can affect people especially with heart disease more rapidly. Excess amount of CO can affect the central nervous system, they maintained.

This article was published in Daily The News on January 11, 2008