Canal dip: a risky sport

Canal swimming during the summer may have its pleasures but experts believe that the trifling sport is rife with hazards to human health as well as life. The youths taking a dip in the canal during the scorching heat of summer noons find the activity exhilarating which rejuvenates them after the sun has sapped their energies to a great extent at schools or work.
The Lahore canal banks are packed with children of different age groups during the day, especially on Sundays, who frequent the canal to beat the heat and make merry with their friends. The canal waters even entice the adults to its banks as even families are seen picnicking out there.
The youths swimming in the canal even become oblivious of the surrounding roads with fast moving vehicles as minor accidents are a common happening at Lal Pul, Muslim Town as well as other places along the canal from Jallo Mor to Thokar Niaz Baig.
Besides a clear risk to life in the activity with many children falling prey to swimming in the past, the danger of catching crippling diseases, besides deaths by drowning, are big hazards as well. Experts maintain that these sporting boys are oblivious of dangers of multiple diseases when they expose themselves to the polluted canal water.
These youths are exposed to various ailments of ear, eye, nose (ENT), liver, stomach and skin as the canal water is polluted due to seepage of sewage as well as chemicals from various sources.
Head of Hepatitis Centre at Jinnah Hospital Dr Aftab Ahmed, while talking to APP, said that the canal water was a major cause of Hepatitis A and E in children. Many patients of Hepatitis A may sometimes suffer form Hepatic coma. He said that giardia, another parasite germ, found in water posed serious health threats among people exposed to contaminated water while infection of the intestines due to the contaminated water often caused typhoid fever.
Dr Aftab said that people often throw rotten vegetables and fruits into the canal water which causes E-Coli among human beings and many have been effected by the disease in Europe recently, stressing E-Coli is the major threat faced by children who swim in the Lahore canal.
He said that different ENT ailments especially sore throat and jaundice are caused by the canal water, expressing the fear that contaminated water may also cause leptospirosis, a disease found among sanitary workers.
Dr Aftab said that if children show symptoms of diarrhea, vomiting or unconsciousness after canal swimming, they should immediately be hospitalised to avoid any complications and risks to life. Talking about precautionary measures, he said it was the responsibility of parents to ensure that children do not swim in the canal water at all.