Project title: Water Quality Monitoring of Hudiara Drain

Project No: PAK/98/G52

Funding Agency: United Nation Development Programme (UNDP) under GEF Small Grants Programme

Executing organization: World Wide Fund for Nature Pakistan (WWF-Pakistan) in collaboration with

• Environmental Protection Department-Punjab
• Soil Survey of Pakistan

Project Executant: Dr. Masil Khan

Starting date: December 1, 1999

Ending date: November 30, 2001

Project duration: Two years

Location: 55-km stretch of Hudiara drain from entry point in Pakistan

Introduction: Hudiara drain, which is a natural storm water drain, originates from Batala in Gurdaspure district (India) and enters in to Pakistan at village Laloo. Travelling for nearly 55 km it finally falls in to river Ravi. All along its route (both in India and Pakistan), wastewater and effluents generated by human settlements and industrial units are discharged into this drain without any prior proper treatment. This has polluted the drain’s water with organic wastes / toxic chemicals and in turn badly affected aquatic life of this drain and that of River Ravi of which it is a tributary.

Farmers living in the vicinity of the drain frequently use this water for irrigation purpose. Soils subjected to long-term irrigation from this drain might have accumulated higher concentration of metals in the surface soil which would be toxic both to soil fauna and flora and may get introduced into food chain. Most local people have contact with drain’s water almost on daily basis either by bathing their livestock in it or crossing it. Study is required to assess the pollution level of Hudiara drain’s water, its contribution to the total pollution load of River Ravi, effect of drain’s water irrigation soil quality and its impact on the health of local community.

This study aims to assess

• The pollution status of this drain
• Drain’s contribution in terms of total pollution load to River Ravi
• Impact of drain’s water irrigation on soil quality
• Impact of drain’s water on the health of local community
• Environmental awareness and hygiene consciousness among the local people living nearby the drain

Sampling points, sampling and other activities

Drain’s water:

• Point 1: Sampling near Laloo village (entry point in Pakistan), would assess the extent and nature of pollutants caused by the neighboring country to Hudiara drain
• Point 2: Downstream of Sattokatla drain, will assess the pollution load of industrial units and human settlements (e.g. Lahore city) situated along the drain in Pakistan
• Point 3: Before its fall into River Ravi, will estimate the ultimate total pollution load contributed by this drain into river Ravi.

Soil:

Total six sampling points

• Four from soil irrigated with drain’s water
• Two canal water irrigated (control)

Epidemiological study:

• Survey of the sample village Thether (Case) regarding the status of health and prevailing diseases there and other medical and civic facility
• Suvey of the sample village Penghali (control)
• Blood lead level analysis of individuals from both villages

Free Medical and Eye camp:

Organizing free medical and eye camp

Tests:

Water: Temperature, Total Suspended Solids, Total Dissolved Solids, Electrical Conductivity, Biological Oxygen Demand, Chemical Oxygen Demand, Dissolved Oxygen, pH, Fecal Coliform Counts Chlorides and Heavy Metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Li, Mn and Pb).

Soil: Electrical Conductivity, pH, Metal (total and exchangeable) concentrations (copper, cadmium, chromium, lead, zinc, manganese, mercury) and texture.

Blood: Lead level.

Significant findings

• Dissolved oxygen is on the average less than 0.5 mg per litre at all sampling points, whereas concentration of 6-4 mg per litre is desirable for aquatic life.
• Although dilution occurs through the course of drain, water properties, for example, biological oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total suspended solids (TSS) and sulphides on the average exceed the permissible limits of National Environmental Quality Standards (NEQS) for industrial effluents.
• Daily contribution of pollution load from Hudiara drain to River Ravi is around 45 tons in terms of BOD, 112 tons in terms of COD and 326 in terms of total dissolved solids (TDS).
• Generally drain’s water has higher metal concentrations at sampling point one (near Vilage Laloo.
• Cadmium, manganese and copper concentration in the drain’s water exceed FAO permissible limits for irrigation water.
• Cadmium concentration in the soil subjected to drains water irrigation exceed the European Community limit
• The occurrence of skin, eye, joint pains and other abdominal diseases are greater in Thether village than in Penghali
• Blood lead level on the average is higher in the sample individuals of Thether village (close to Hudiara drain) compared with Penghali.

For further information please contact:

Dr. Masil Khan

WWF-Pakistan, Lahore Office, Tel: 5862360, 5882069,

Email: mkhan@wwf.org.pk