The tragic story of the Leh that used to be a fresh-water stream, but has now mutated into a cesspool of filth and a breeding place for disease-carrying germs
THE Population Environment and Communication Centre of SDPI arranged a visit to Nullah Leh for its participants on the concluding day of a 3-day workshop on ‘Linkages between Environment and Population’.
A group of 32 people representing the media, academia, government and non-government organizations studied the Leh from its origin, (E-9, Islamabad) to the end, River Swan (Rawalpindi) and observed the impact of population growth and human settlement on the environment and associated health and environmental risks. The participants were shocked at the now infamous and deplorable sight of the Leh.
The Leh was not always like it is today. In fact, it used to be a fresh-water stream as recently as ten years ago, stretching from Golra till the I-9 Sector and even beyond. It was full of aquatic and organic life and was often used as a recreation site by the locals. Fishing was the most common form of recreation and the waters were also regarded as safe for drinking, till as early as 1991. At that time, there were no dwellings within a distance of several kilometres on either side of the Leh. But today, one can easily identify the massive, unchecked encroachment that has occurred over the past ten years around the banks of the Leh.
To compound the problem of water contamination, in an effort to solve the scarcity of water that has plagued the residents of Islamabad and Rawalpindi in the past five years, the Capital Development Authority and Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation have excavated tube wells close to Leh. Although the water being tapped is safe for drinking at its source, as it travels up the pipelines and to the storage tanks, it gets contaminated with numerous pathogens in the waters of the Leh. As a result, diarrheal-associated illnesses are rampant in these areas, as well as the occasional outbreak of hepatitis that is often fatal, specially among the very young and very old.
According to international standards, any boring within a distance of 300 meters of any sewer is deemed as extremely risky and not recommended. But here, it may be appropriate to point out that the tube well is not the real problem, the extent of pollution in the waters of the Leh is.
The locals of Golra, where the Leh starts, blame the custodians of the Golra Sharif Shrine of polluting the waters at that site. They claim that the illegally-constructed abattoirs on the banks of the Leh contribute the most to the organic waste in their waters. Animal entrails, waste products, dung, blood, etc, is all drained into the Leh. As a matter of fact, at that particular site, the amount of waste being dumped into the Leh is so massive that the flow of water is down to a trickle, culminating in the cesspool of numerous chemical reactions liberating foul odour at the surface.
To add to the problem, the sewerage pipes that carry waste water from the houses are terminating directly into the Leh. It’s good to have underground, covered drainage, but if the untreated waste waters result up contaminating the environment and ultimately the water supply source, then the entire exercise of covered drainage becomes futile.
This has and will continue to cause environmental and health hazards that could easily reach epidemic proportions if left unchecked. This problem has been brought to the attention of the CDA through applications from the locals, but no action has been taken so far to remedy their problems. The CDA refuses to accept the responsibility on the grounds of jurisdiction, an attitude reflected by the RMC as well. Under such circumstances, people feel abandoned and that only further encourages them to encroach onto the land and cause further degradation. At present, there is no space around Leh for waste disposal. Therefore, people find it easier to dump garbage into the water.
The local people firmly believe that the spiritual leader of Golra could be of great help in solving their problem. They adore him and he could easily create awareness about cleanliness. A group of senior citizens called on him for this purpose. He was not of much help. In their opinion, it was the state’s responsibility. Furthermore, the people of Golra have no or limited access to a dispensary, where they could buy the necessary emergency medicines for their daily use. Yet, there is a veterinary clinical that caters to domestic animals. The minister for Women and Social Welfare, Dr Attiya Inayatullah, had been informed by the Golra residents of their plight. She promised swift action to resolve the current situation. But so far, nothing has been done.
The Leh, a fresh-water stream of yesterday, is fast turning into the infamous Karachi Lyari River. It has become the dumpsite for all types of waste material. As it passes I-9 Sector, all types of solid and liquid industrial waste are added to the domestic waste, making it a cesspool of filth and a breeding place for disease-carrying germs. The plethora of polythene bags and plastic bottles hinder the flow of water, completely disabling its natural purification system by flow.
The River Leh of yesterday is totally different from the Nullah Leh of today. Leh has become void of any aquatic or organic life. It meets with River Swan under the Swan Bridge where it discharges the waste of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. There is the fear that the Leh will become more polluted in the days and years to come, adversely impacting the ecology of other river systems that flow into it, namely the Swan, Korang and eventually the Indus River.
River Swan is still safe from excessive pollution, but will soon be overwhelmed by the polluted waters of the Leh, specially now that the local government has asked that the abattoirs be shifted out of the Leh area and have been allowed to inhabit the areas surrounding Swan River. The government seems to have shifted the problem to another area, rather than finding a permanent solution. It may be too late to save the Leh, but surely we can save the Swan and Korang river systems.
The tragic story of the Leh that used to be a fresh-water stream, but has now mutated into a cesspool of filth and a breeding place for disease-carrying germs 
