Drive for clean, green Lahore launched

LAHORE : Strengthening Participatory Organisation (SPO) has launched a campaign ‘Lahore and our Responsibilities’. Smoke, water pollution, environment and sanitation are integral part of the campaign. SPO is engaging universities for a clean and green Lahore.

An event held by SPO to launch the campaign and attended by Minister for Environmental Protection Bao M Rizwan and Principal College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Punjab University, Professor Dr Sajid Rashid highlighted the situation on ground. SPO Regional Coordinator Shahnawaz Khan said that around 70 percent of Pakistan’s population depends on groundwater for its livelihood which has become polluted. More than 60pc of the population of Pakistan has no access to safe drinking water.

Level of groundwater has declined to 100 feet and salt water has been included into table water because of unplanned pumping. Ravi River was a natural aquifer but it remains dry all year except during monsoon season. Natural recharging of groundwater aquifers is almost negligible due to construction activities. Additionally, discharge of untreated water in the river and dumping of solid waste by factories have turned the water yellow and stinking, he said. SPO has called upon the government to bind these factories to dispose of their solid waste outside the city.

Heavy metals have also been found in the groundwater samples and concentration of lead, nickel and number of Ecoli levels exceed the permissible limits of drinking water quality. Lahore is a hub of industrial activities and its groundwater has become polluted. A wide range of pollutants generated by natural and human activities are contributing towards the degradation of groundwater in the area. Extraction of groundwater increases as population grows.

Air pollution has increased in the city and it could be controlled by reducing vehicles on roads. The SPO suggested officials must use public vehicles and schools, colleges and university students should use public transport, and in private offices pooling system must be adopted to reduce air pollution.

The minister called for collective effort to eradicate rapidly increasing environmental degradation and to create awareness at grassroots level. He said his department has recommended imparting environmental education to students up till Grade 5 and give 20 marks to students of higher education who are contributing in eradicating pollution.