Rampant migration from rural Punjab to ‘Manchester of Pakistan’ has also affected the sewerage system, ground water quality

A rising population and overburdened civic amenities’ infrastructure in Faisalabad is becoming a serious challenge for authorities concerned in effectively meeting the quality living standard requirements of the people.

Rampant migration of people from rural Punjab to the ‘Manchester of Pakistan’ has not only created a population and traffic mess in the industrial city but also affected the environment, sewerage system, health and roads infrastructure as well as food and ground water quality.

After Karachi and Lahore, Faisalabad is also expanding at a faster pace with the city now inhabiting approximately four million people. Consequently, its available basic amenities are under severe stress due to mushroom growth of housing societies, mass migration and increasing vehicle population.

The most serious issue for the city is provision of clean drinking water as in absence of waste treatment plants, industrial effluent has been contaminating groundwater over the past few decades. Worn out water supply pipes, overflowing drains and absence of sufficient water filtration plants are the persistent problem for the authorities.

In view of the World Health Organisation report that 80 per cent of diseases in third-world countries are caused by unhygienic water, the challenge becomes enormous for the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA), the only civic body responsible for provision of safe drinking water.

“We are trying our best to ensure 100 pc water supply for people living in Faisalabad’s urbanised jurisdiction sprawling over 225 square kilometres,” commented Managing Director (MD) WASA Abu Bakar Imran.

“City’s population was recorded at 3.4 million as per 2017 census, out of which two-thirds is connected to the water supply network,” he claimed, referring to different sources of water supply used by WASA including 56 million gallons per day capacity water supply line from Chenab River at Chiniot.

Since overall groundwater quality is brackish, WASA has installed tube wells along the banks of canals flowing through or in the surroundings of the city.

The MD added water pumping from Chiniot to Faisalabad is much costly as pumps had to push water for a long distance and against the gravitational force. “Therefore, WASA has also sunk 25 tube wells along with Jhang Branch Canal from where around 20 MGD water is being supplied to the city.”

Mentioning three other sources of water supply, he said that 76 MGD water was being supplied from old Jhal Khanuwala Water Works, one MGD from Jhang Branch canal and 1.5 MGD water from Gulistan Colony Water Works.

Imran referred to different water supply projects including a mega project to be executed with the help of Japan International Cooperation Agency. “We hope to reach the maximum population through this project to be completed with an estimated cost of Rs7,250 million.”

He said out of this amount Rs6.14 million would be provided by Punjab government and Rs6,636 million by JICA as aid in grant. “Under this project, a six kilometer-long new transmission line would be laid down besides replacing 31 km-long distribution lines.”

The managing director said this project is expected to be completed by February 2024 and benefit approximately 500,000 Faisalabad inhabitants with safe drinking water.

“It would ensure better quality water to people through an improved supply system as WASA was endeavoring to provide 10,000 new connections every year till 100 per cent of households are covered,” he stated.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the district government said that the Punjab government was also contributing in provision of clean drinking water to citizens and the district government had installed approximately 150 water filtration plants.

“These plants had been set up with the cooperation of non-governmental organisations (NGO) and Saylani Welfare Trust has taken the responsibility of their maintenance,” he said.

Amidst the whole situation, the issues like worn out pipeline, continued groundwater contamination, mixing sewerage water with fresh water and quality testing mechanism still continue to haunt the authorities concerned.

“Laying infrastructure is fine and giving fresh connections is fine. But, what about obsolete pipelines and those running side by side sewerage lines,” questioned a resident of New Civil Lines area, Chaudhry Muhammad Saleem.

“Then there is also the issue of installing water sucking pumps on the water supply lines. Who will ensure to check illegalities?“ He said and mentioned when any fresh water pipeline is damaged near to the sewerage line, the waste water mixes with fresh water and WASA takes days to address such common complaints.

“Moreover, how long one can trust the water quality testing system when the supplier is its master,” he questioned again and said hundreds of thousands people fall ill by drinking contaminated water.

Commenting on this situation, Medical Specialist Dr Zahid Yaseen Hashmi said, water-borne diseases were rampant in Faisalabad due to presence of multiple pollutants in underground water pumped out by people themselves.

He identified that contaminated groundwater and sewer mixed pipe water is one the main reasons for diseases like hepatitis, typhoid, cholera, diarrhea, worm infections and gastroenteritis.

“Poor and low-income groups least bother for water quality. They have to live with what they are provided by the authorities,” he remarked. “Children are an easy prey to this phenomenon and the government must prioritise this issue to ensure a healthy future generation for the country.” APP