Dumping of waste in Lahore canal: EPD decides to take action against violators

The Environment Protection Department (EPD) Punjab taking notice of dumping of waste and discharge of effluent in to the Lahore Canal decided to take action against the violators. In this connection, the EPD Punjab held a meeting on Thursday, which was attended by officials from different government departments, including Irrigation, Wasa, TMAs of Wahga Town and Aziz Bhatti Town and Lahore Waste Management Company.
Punjab Environment Secretary Sajjad Saleem Hotiana presided over the meeting. On the occasion, EPD Director General Dr Shagufta Shahjahan briefed the participants about the actual situation of pollution in the Lahore canal. District Officer (Environment) Tariq Zaman presented a report of Lahore Canal, which highlighted dumping of solid waste and discharge of untreated wastewater is being analysed by EPD team.
The meeting was informed that 82-km long Lahore canal originates from B.R.B canal near Jallo village and ends in District Kasur at Bhaipheru, which discharge 402 cusecs of water on average. It was also told that Wasa was found guilty of discharging sewage into the Canal and thus the matter was referred to the environmental tribunal. In response, Wasa laid parallel sewage piped channels (Harbanspura Interchange to Shalimar fly over) and diverted the discharge of sewage of this area Sukh Naher drain.
The report also highlighted that there are inlets connected to Lahore Canal that are discharging waste water into the canal, including Sozo Water Park, Rizwan Garden Housing Society, Canal Bank Road (near Jallo Park), Lahore Medical Housing scheme phase 1, 2 and 3, Hajveri Housing Society, Tulspura Abadi, Tulspura, Nawabpura, Gujjar Colony, Nazir Garden, Rani Pind and Chung village. These housing societies were also dumping solid waste into the canal.
It pointed out that the irrigation and power department uses water from the Lahore Canal for irrigation purposes. A recent EPD survey of the Canal revealed that the Canal's level of biological oxygen demand (BOD) is very high from the standard values, which effects water quality.
According to report, as there is no sewage drain in the proximity of the Lahore Canal from Thokar Niaz Baig to Mohlanwal, consequently the housing colonies and some industrial units discharge their effluents through tankers in to the canal. Team of district office environment demolished many sewage inlets time to time, which caused sewage to make cesspools on the green belts and on the roads due to absence of drainage infrastructure along the canal. In response to the alarming report, Punjab Environment Secretary Sajjad Saleem Hotiana directed the Wasa and TMAs to lay down the trunk-sewer line along both sides of Lahore Canal from Thokar Niaz Baig to Mohlanwal Bridge and from B.R.B to Harbanspura. He also asked the Lahore Waste Management Company to place dustbins/containers according to the demand of the area so that people should not throw solid waste into the canal.
On the occasion, EPD Director General Dr Shagufta Shahjahan issued direction to concerned officials to immediately send 12 legal notices to Wasa, TMAs and above mentioned societies under the section 16 of PEPA Act 1997. She also said Environment Protection Orders will be issued and in case of non-compliance, cases will be sent to Environmental Tribunal for section under 17 of the Act.