ANALYSIS of water samples, conducted recently in Sindh, has revealed the presence of animal and human fecal matter in major freshwater bodies and the River Indus.

Similarly, the quality of groundwater, which is excessively used in agriculture sector, is also fast deteriorating in the province.

These findings are a grim reminder of the government’s failure to improve the supply of drinking water and decontaminate the water bodies.

KB feeder faces uninterrupted contamination after it emanates from the barrage as it gets municipal, hospital wastewater and effluent from Kotri’s industrial area

And the latest water analysis has been done under the directive of the Supreme Court appointed, one-man judicial commission headed by Justice Mohammad Iqbal Kalhoro of the Sindh High Court.

A team of the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources had collected samples of water randomly from the River Indus and major canals of three barrages in different districts for testing.

According to the preliminary report of water sampling, municipal, animal, hospital and domestic waste is being disposed off into the River Indus and other freshwater bodies.

Though, water filtration plants exist in urban centres, the rural population is largely dependent on water from irrigation canals and distributaries for drinking and domestic use.

Along with water experts, Justice Kalhoro visited the entire Sindh to see the condition of canals, filtration plants and River Indus. The commission was apprised by districts authorities quite candidly that sewerage and industrial waste go into water bodies without treatment, turning these sources of water as part of the sewerage drains.

Data analysis also indicates that samples don’t meet the National Environmental Quality Standards (NEQS). According to a PCRWR officer, associated with analysis, the wastewater could be released under certain controlled values but in Sindh’s case, it is being directly thrown into freshwater sources. As this water is used in agriculture sector for crop cultivation, it affects the groundwater quality.

He said even freshwater pockets in Sindh are facing an imminent threat of turning brackish. Lands in the farm sector are already saline in many areas. He added that this contaminated water is used for producing vegetables and fruits.

The judicial commission appointed on a public interest litigation filed by Shahab Usto advocate, was to submit its detailed report by February 19. But now, according to Mr Usto, the commission is being requested to extend its period of working and information gathering so that the state of reverse osmosis which has emerged as another major problem, could also be discussed and covered in the commission’s recommendations.

Justice Kalhoro-led commission has also passed some directives in different districts which are likely to have a positive bearing on those areas. For instance, he directed Hyderabad’s district administration to immediately close the slaughter house which was working on the right bank of Phulelli canal.

The blood of slaughtered animals was being released into the canal that serves as a source of freshwater supply to people of Tando Mohammad Khan, Thatta and Badin districts.

The commission expressed its surprise as to why a modern slaughter house is not being made functional and animals are being slaughtered on the bank of canals and at homes by butchers.

Complying with the commission’s directive, the district administration has banned animals’ slaughtering in different localities although it is still taking place in some areas.

Hyderabad Municipal Corporation is now working to make its modern slaughter house functional as soon as possible.

Referring to water quality analysis report, Mr Usto pointed out that PCRWR findings show that 82pc water of Sukkur, 79pc of Shikarpur and 88pc of Larkana is unsafe for drinking purposes.

He said hardly any filtration plant is satisfactorily working or carrying out chlorination in cities including Karachi and Hyderabad. He asserted that Karachi gets water from Keenjhar Lake that is fed by Kotri barrage’s Kalri Baghar (KB) feeder.

KB feeder faces uninterrupted contamination after it emanates from the barrage as it gets municipal, hospital wastewater and effluent from Kotri’s industrial area.

The Rs700m combined effluent treatment plant, set up at Kotri site, is not working properly. Now in the light of the commission’s directive, a committee has submitted its recommendations on how to make the plant functional to save the KB feeder from contamination.

Published in Dawn, Business & Finance weekly, February 20th, 2017