Two Turkish firms interested in BRB Canal water filtration plant project

LAHORE

Two Turkish companies have shown interest in a Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) proposed project for installing a water filtration plant at BRB Canal and supplying of filtered water to the citizens. 

Sources said Wasa conceived this project following the deteriorating quality of the underground aquifer, which is also going down with every day. Sources said at some places in the city the water table has gone down to above 500 feet, which is a very alarming situation.

Sources added that besides biological contaminations, presence of contaminants such as arsenic, fluoride, copper and other metals is common and majority of Wasa tube wells are pumping out this contaminated water. Though Wasa has a proper system of chlorinating the tube wells, the problem is persisting and aggravating, sources maintained.

Sources said Wasa has planned to install a water filtration plant on BRB Canal through which it will treat 250 million gallon water from BRB Canal and pump it into the water supply system. This project will be completed in a phased manner, sources added. Sources further said that two Turkish companies expressed their interest in this project and the issue will be discussed in a meeting with the Mayor of Istanbul. 

When contacted, Managing Director, Wasa, Ch Naseer confirmed that arsenic contamination is present at almost every all tube well of the agency. He said the agency is monitoring the situation closely and the said project is one of the remedial measures planned by the company.

Environmentalists said arsenic is a slow poison and is present in rocks, soil, air, plants and animals and its long-term use might cause different forms of cancer and can’t be easily detected during ingestion as it is tasteless, odorless and colorless. Health experts said that arsenic in drinking water is absorbed by the body and distributed by bloodstream and it does not enter the body through skin or by inhalation during bathing.

Wasa sources claimed that tube wells in the localities where arsenic was found in high concentration included Qazi Park (Shahdara Town), Qaiser Town (Shahdara), Ravi Cricket Ground (Shahdara Town), Majeed Park (Shahdara Town), Paracha Colony (Shahdara Town), Takia Khushrianwala (Shahdara Town), Jia Mussa, Shahdara, Latif Chowk Farrukhabad (Ravi Road), Aziz Colony (Ravi Road), Ali Park no 1 Shahi Qila, Elahi Park Chowk Nakhuda (Wassan Pura), Bhagiwal, Chamra Mandi (Misri Shah), Gujjar Pura D-2, Kanji House, New Singh Pura, New Tezab Ahata, Ahata Thami Dar, Ghoria Park (Walton Road), Gulshan Colony opposite Packages, Canal Bridge, Tajpura D-Block, Ghaziabad bus Stop, Al Faisal Town C&A blocks, Tajpura Pind, Pir Naseer Tube Well (Harbanspura), Iqbal Park No 2 and Iqbal Park No 3, Akram Park (Amer Road), Children Park Gole Ground, Khuda Baksh Park (Bhagat Pura), Lady Sofia Park (Bhagat Pura), Nabi Park Gole Bagh, New Chah Miran, Scheme No 2 Tanki Cantt, Wasa Colony (Shahdbagh), Tube well no 2, 3, 4 of Shadbagh, Match Factory, GT Road Shahdara Subdivision, Baradari Road Shaukat Colony (Begum Kot), New Fakhrabad, Old Begum Kot, Saeed Park, Masti Gate, Texali Gate, Bhatti Gate, Old Ravi No 3, Old Ravi No 4, Timber Market, Qila Lachman Singh, Data Nagar, Khokhar Road, Qazaffi Colony (Bengali Bagh Graveyard), Tajpura Ground (Wassanpura), old Chah Miran, Akbari Gate, Lohari Gate, Shahalam Market and Yaki Gate. Ashfaq Chowk U/C 59, Bahar Shah road (Jore Pull), Kotli Pir Abdul Rehman, Gosha Angori, Jehangir Road, Sansi Quarter, Fayyaz Park, Dars Bary Mian (Moghalpura), Shah Kamal Road, Shah Din Park, Pakistan mint, Fateh Garh, Bagh Saithan, Angori Bagh Scheme No 2, Achant Garh, Azeem Ground, Gawala Colony, Baba Bari Pir, Jamilabad, Saher Wari Takiya, Madhu Lal Hussain, Milop Street GT road near Muslim high School, Salamat Pura near Tanki, Mehmood Butti No 1, Dhobi Ghat (GT Road), Saad Di Mill, Yaqoob Colony, Mehmood Botti Disposal, Darbar Road, Siraj Pura, Jail Road Gulberg, T block Gulberg II, C Block Gulberg III, M Block Kachi Abadi Gulberg, P Block Gulberg III, Nawaz Sharif Colony (Ferozpur Road), H block Gulberg III, Macca Colony Gulberg III, G Block Gulberg II, Q block Gulberg II, Niasar Press Gulberg III, Ittehad Colony Gulberg III, Gopal Nagar No 1, Saint Marry Colony Gulberg III, Qurban police Lines Gulberg II, Cilren Park, Nian Bazar (Garhi Shahu), Larex Colony, Shimla Hill, Upper Mall, Scotch Corner, Habibullah Road, Zaman Park, Ahmed Block (Garden Town), Ali Block Garden Town, Tariq Block Garden Town, B Block Faisal Town, C block Faisal Town, Nashat Road, Albadar Hospital Kot Lakhpat, R Block Model Town extension, Q Block PHA Park, Bakar Mandi, Qadr Park, Mushtaq Town (More Samanabad, Mustafa Town, Tanki Ground JHA Wala, Pak Block (Allama Iqbal Town, Nistar Blkock, Jehanzed block, Collge Block, Karin Block, Clifton Colony, Hamza Block, Neelum Block, E bock, Nargis Bloak, H-I block, fruit and Vegi Market, H-II block Sabzazar, C Block Muslim Town, Old Shah Kamal, New Shah Kamal, Old Lehri Shah, Windson Park, Chahdry Colony, New Lehri Shah, Kamranabad (Rehmanpura), A-III block (Johar Town), F-I block (Johar Town), G-IV block (Johar Town), J-III Block (Johar Town), Mustafabad, B-I block (Johar town), Shah Di Khoi, Nepar Road, Muzand Adda, Dhobi Mandi, Nasir Bagh, Nisar Scheme, Avari Hotel, Ibrahim Road, Masoom Ganjh (Bilal Ganjh), Mohini Road, Umer Degree College, Bagh Munshi Ladha, New Karim park, Yaseen Road, Karim Park, Qasiser Park, Liaqatabad, Commissioner Office Lahore, Main Outfall road, Akram park, MC high School, Nehru park, Islampura, Allah Wali Mosque, Rehmat Flour mill, Shafiqabad, Raffiaabad, Burji Adda bund Road, Sanda Patwar Khana, Bilal Park, Raffle Range, Riwaz Garden, B block (Gulshan-e-Ravi), G-Block (Gulshan-e-Ravi), Firdous Colony, Jaffaria Colony, Sodiwal Park, Nonarian Chowk, A block (Gulshan-e-Ravi), Muslim Park, D-Block (Gulshan-e-Ravi), Raj Garh, Wasa Colony (Nawankot), E-Block (Gulshan-e-Ravi), Babu Sabu New Scheme, Sikandria Colony Bus Terminal, Lytton Road, Kacha Tember Road, Queens Road, Saadi Park, Janazgah, Kot Abdullah Shah Mozang Adda, Messon Road, Shah Shamas Qadri (Race Course), Water Tank Shadman Market, Dongi Ground Fazlia Colony, 2 D 1 (Green Town), 3 D 1 (Green Town), 3 D II (Green Town), 4 C II (New Green Town), Baghrian Chowk, 5 D 1 (Green Town), 1 b-II (Green Town), 5 D-1 (Green Town), 4 D-II (Green Town), Gowala Colony (Green Town), 2 b-J (Township), Qanchi Stop (Chungi Amar Sidhu), Baba Freed Colony, Kacha Jail Road, Nishtar Colony, Sitara Colony, Bhatti Colony, A-II (Township), Tanki No 3 (Township) and 4 A-II (Township).

Wasa MD Ch Naseer said Wasa has already installed over 100 water filtration plants in the city while 100 more are under way. He said citizens should use these water filtration plants and avoid drinking tap water directly.