THE Ravi once was full of life; unfortunately, it has now become a sewerage drain for Lahore and other cities.
The river has turned into a dumping ground for municipal sewage and toxic industrial waste. There are 14 main drains in Lahore dumping more than 2,000 cusecs of untreated industrial and municipal waste in to the Ravi river. Adding to this pollution are hundreds of industrial units throwing their contaminated waste in to the river.
It is ironic that the river water laced with toxic chemicals, high metal contents and arsenic levels is being used for irrigation purposes which is a threat to human beings consuming these deadly crops.
The toxic mix is also a serious threat to the groundwater aquifer which is utilised for charging ground water. The major source of Lahore`s drinking water is groundwater. This supply is also depleting rapidly owing to excessive extraction.
The authorities need to introduce immediate measures to control wastewater pollution on a priority and institute viable and affordable wastewater treatment solutions.
