February 12, 2002	Tuesday	Ziqa’ad 28, 1422

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MULTAN, Feb 11: The Public Health Engineering Department’s (PHED) drinking water quality survey found arsenic level dangerously high in the sub-soil water in four residential areas of the city.

UNICEF provided funds to carry out water quality survey. The areas included Liaquatabad, Chungi No 9, Nishtar Colony and Surej Miani.

According to the WHO standards, permissible level of arsenic in water is 0.05 mg per litre or 50 parts per billion.

If the arsenic element in water is above the standard level it can damage the nervous system and cause lung, skin and intestinal cancer.

Multan PHED executive engineer Wasim Bajwa said it was the responsibility of the government to ensure provision of contamination free drinking water in those areas.

PHED superintending engineer and Wasa managing director Chaudhry Muhammad Ashiq said industrial and commercial waste was responsible for increasing arsenic level in water. The water cleaning process was very costly as chemicals required for the purpose were too expensive, he said.

He said people should either use water supplied by Wasa or install the water pumps 200 meters below the ground level.

People should realize that Wasa would supply better quality water if they got its connection and paid the water supply bills regularly, he said. A campaign should be launched to educate people regarding the diseases caused by using contaminated water, he said.

FOUND DEAD: A labourer was found dead under mysterious circumstances with torture marks on his head in Writers Colony here on Monday.

Police said Manawar Hassan of Gari Shahu, Lahore, was a labourer in the steel chair manufacturing factory at Writers Colony. His body has been sent to the city mortuary.

Area police have registered a case against an unidentified accused.

SHOT AT, INJURED: Two unidentified dacoits on Sunday night looted Rs150,000 in cash and shot at and injured a man on resistance in Suraj Miani.

Armed outlaws barged into the house of Bashir Ahmad, made the family hostage and started scooping cash. They shot at and wounded Shah Buksh when he tried to resist. They escaped with the booty and a motorcycle. The injured was shifted to the Nishtar Hospital where his condition was stated to be critical.