Beating the heat

LAHORE: As the heatwave continued, city canal is expected to remain the most visited place in the city during the Eid holidays.The canal, which is adding beauty to Lahore for decades is the only place where citizens can beat the heat without spending any money. Splashing the cool water of the canal on one another is one of the best entertainments, Lahorites can have during the summer season.

However, despite the fact that the canal provides relief to the citizens from the wrath of the sun, taking bath in the canal is a risky thing because, with the passage of time, many localities along the canal started throwing their municipal waste in it due to the absence of a proper sewerage system. This has made the cool water of the canal very harmful and a serious health hazards for the people who are jumping in it.

Following the continuous pollution, the aquatic life in the canal has also totally vanished while the environmentalists warned of skin and other diseases if the canal water is used.The city canal attracted a large number of people especially youth to have a cold dip to stave off the scorching heatg.

The people especially the youngsters love to swim and play in the canal water . Owing to pollution, the swimmers run the risk of contracting various diseases relating to skin, digestive system, ears and eyes as drains from several residential areas, workshops and business houses carrying human and animal wastes mix with canal water.Dr Tariq Chishti, while talking to the scribe said inhaling contaminated water can lead to dangerous diseases while it can also badly affect the eyes and ears of the swimmers.