LAHORE, Jan 24: The consumption of arsenic contaminated water is enhancing the birth and infant mortality rate in Pakistan, deplores Punjab Environment Protection Minister Dr Anjum Amjad.

She was speaking at a one-day seminar on “Arsenic in Pakistan: Drinking Water Disaster Management through Civil Society” organised by the Lahore College for Women University in collaboration with the Japanese Research Institutions on Wednesday.

Delegates from Austria, Bangladesh, Japan and Sweden besides university students attended the seminar.

Dr Amjad said she was extremely worried about the deteriorating environment, especially in areas of central Punjab like Kasur. She expressed the need to provide the next generation with a pure and clean environment, for which the government was formulating plans to eradicate chromium from drinking water.

Speaking on the occasion, LCWU vice-chancellor Prof Dr Bushra Mateen said the contaminated drinking water was a serious and widespread issue in Pakistan. She said it was affecting almost the entire population of the country in one form or another.

She said the proposals and guidelines worked out in the seminar would be forwarded to the government for implementation and provision of safe drinking water for all citizens.

Saying that the quality of water in Pakistan was extremely low, Prof Mateen stressed that the government must penalise those industries which were releasing contaminated water. She also explained different reactions taking place in the human body after it consumed arsenic contaminated water.

She said the basic purpose of this seminar was to find various solutions that could easily be implemented in the country. She also lauded the efforts of the foreign delegates for the organisation of the seminar.

Dr Tatsuro Sakano from Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan, presented his research work on arsenic in drinking water at Chaklalanwala village, Pakistan, and its hazardous effects on human body that could even damage bones. He presented data on how arsenic affects the human body.

Dean faculty of natural sciences Prof Dr Kausar Jamal Cheema spoke about the collaborations made by the Japanese Research Institutions and Department of Environmental Sciences, LCWU. She also explained the purpose and cause of this joint venture.

Dr Nirei Hisashi from Geo-Pollution Control Society, Japan, talked about the experience of Geo-Pollution survey and control in Japan.

After technical session, the speakers discussed social and health aspects, role of civil society for drinking water disaster and arsenic in drinking water and its mitigation.

Dr Takeshi Komai of the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Sciences and Technology, Japan, discussed risks of drinking water contaminated with arsenic and fluoride and cost effectiveness of mitigation measures.

Dr Walter Kosmus from University of Graz, Australia, also discussed that how arsenic and fluoride was determined in drinking water in the fields.

Dr Zafar M Khalid from NIBGE, Faisalabad, talked about status of arsenic in industrial waste water in Faisalabad. He also discussed the possible role of bio-technology for its removal.

LCWU’s Huma Asif explained the status of arsenic in drinking water samples from certain areas around Lahore. Human Resource Development Society’s Aftab Ahmad spoke about the status of arsenic contamination in drinking water in Punjab.

Dr Prosun Bhattacharya, Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden, who is conducting research on sustainable arsenic mitigation in South Asia, spoke about experiences of sediments’ colour for targeting safe aquifers for drinking water supply.

Speaking about the impact of household level arsenic filers, Dr Shah Mahfuzur Rehman from Institute of Public Health, Bangladesh, said that in rural areas of Bangladesh like Satkhira, this household level arsenic filers had attracted lot of attention.

Dr Mushtaq Ali Jakhrani from Shah Abdul Latif University, Khairpur, discussed the determination of arsenic contamination in ground water of Khairpur. Sharmin Farhat Obaid, BRAC, Bangladesh, talked about women and arsenic crisis in Bangladesh.

Fahmeed Perveen from PCSIR, Karachi, discussed metal contents in ground waters of Tharparker district, Sindh, with special focus on arsenic.

Dr Amjad Saqib from Akhuwat, Lahore, shed light on micro-financing for provision of safe drinking water to the poor.

UDERC (TITECH) Japan executive director Dr M Atiqur Rehman, Dr Mian Ihsan Bari, Dr Muhammad Akram Chaudhry and Raja M Younis Kayani also spoke.