water pollution in punjab essay

The crisis of water shortage and pollution in Pakistan: risk to public health, biodiversity, and ecosystem

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• Published: 11 February 2019
• Volume 26 , pages 10443–10445, ( 2019 )

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• Ghulam Nabi 1 , 2 ,
• Murad Ali 3 , 4 ,
• Suliman Khan 1 , 2 &
• Sunjeet Kumar 1 , 2  

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According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Pakistan ranked third among the countries facing severe water shortage. In May 2018, the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) announced that by 2025, there will be very little or no clean water available in the country (Shukla 2018 ). It must be noted that while per capita availability in the 1950s was approximately 5000 m 3 per annum, it has now declined to below 1000 m 3 , which is an internationally recognized threshold of water scarcity (Aziz et al. 2018 ). Currently, only 20% of the country’s population has access to clean drinking water. The remaining 80% populations depends on polluted water primarily contaminated by sewerage (fecal, total coliforms, E. coli colonies), and secondarily by fertilizer, pesticides, and industrial effluents (Daud et al. 2017 ; Sahoutara 2017 ). Such water pollution is responsible for approximately 80% of all diseases and 30% of deaths (Daud et al. 2017 ). In the dried-out pipeline, a single E. coli bacterium can multiply into trillions in just a week (Ebrahim 2017 ), and such pipes are used for the water supply without any treatment. Consuming such polluted waters has not only resulted in the death of several people, but also cause bone and teeth diseases, diarrhea, dysentery, typhoid, hepatitis, cancer, and other waterborne diseases (Daud et al. 2017 ). According to World Health Organization (WHO), waterborne diarrheal diseases are responsible for over 2 million deaths annually across the world, with the majority occurring in children under 5 years (WHO 2018 ).

In Pakistan, approximately 60 million people are at risk of being affected by high concentrations of arsenic in drinking water; the largest mass poisoning in history (Guglielmi 2017 ). Arsenic poisoning can cause cancer, restrictive pulmonary disease, skin lesions, cardiovascular problems, diabetes mellitus, gangrene, neurological impairments, and problems in endocrine glands, immunity, liver, kidney, and bladder as well as socio-economic hazards (Rahman et al. 2018 ). Unfortunately, still, no epidemiological data of arsenic poisoning, alternate drinking water, and health interventions are available to the people at risk.

Taking into consideration the drought-hit deaths of approximately 1832 children in the last 4 years (The Newspaper’s Staff Reporter 2018 ), drying lakes (Ali 2015 ), rivers (Channa 2010 ), lowering water table, excessive use of water, lack of storage mechanism, population explosion, and climatic changes warrant serious attention (Kirby 2018 ). Furthermore, the lack of sound national water policy, lack of federal and provincial government’s interest, water conflict between nuclear-armed Pakistan and India (Kirby 2018 ), deforestation, the overwhelming potential threat to the country’s glacier reserves (Nabi et al. 2017 , 2018 ), and the poor water supply will likely negatively affect agriculture, ecology, and local biodiversity. The wildlife has already entered the red zone (Shaikh 2018 ) and can possibly turn into human crisis with the danger of large-scale regional migration of people due to drought-like situation. We have recommended some suggestions that could possibly help the people of Pakistan to get rid of water shortage and pollution, maintain an ecology, improve agriculture, and conserve local biodiversity.

Sound National Water Policy: An effective National Water Policy and management are needed to conserve and enhance water resources, minimize drinking water pollution, and improve the country’s water supply with proper sewerage facilities.

Switch to bottled drinking water: Although this seems to be an expensive option, but keeping in view the higher concentration of arsenic (50 μg/L) (Guglielmi 2017 ), fecal, bacterial, and other contamination in drinking water (Sahoutara 2017 ), it is time to switch to the bottled drinking water. The polluted water can be used for other household activities. Indirectly, this will also bring the attention of public towards water pollution and conservation.

Building dams: Both large- and small-scale dams are needed, but every effort must be made to minimize their social and ecological cost in terms of population displacement and shock to the existing ecosystem. Hence, small dams having minimal environmental and social cost should be prioritized whose waters can be used for drinking, agriculture, electricity, and fisheries. It will also help in the conservation of aquatic biodiversity and other animals, especially during seasonal migration. Instead of the many dams that are under consideration (Qureshi and Akıntug 2014 ), the authors report that hundreds of small dams can be built in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which is rich in both aquatic and terrestrial biodiversity and can also possibly help them in conservation by providing habitat and protection from flooding.

Reforestation: Annually, Pakistan loses approximately 2.1% of its forests. If this rate continues, Pakistan will run out of forests within the next 50 years (Randhawa 2017 ). Therefore, reforestation and its management in Pakistan are intensely needed and will help in bringing rain, stabilize climate, temperature, pollution, and siltation. It will also help in controlling recurring floods and will provide suitable habitat for the local biodiversity.

Steam-based car washing: There are hundreds of thousand car washing centers in Pakistan. They not only consume a huge amount of freshwater for cleaning, but also pose a great threat to public health, biodiversity, and ecology by polluting the rivers and environment. Switching to steam-based car washing system will not only conserve the freshwater but will also reduce the water and environmental pollution.

Artificial rain: Like China, Pakistan needs a rainmaking network throughout the country. This will help in solving the problems of water shortage, protecting the ecology, reducing natural disaster, and conserving biodiversity. China is developing the world’s largest weather-manipulating system comprising tens of thousands of fuel-burning chambers. This system will increase rainfall over an area of approximately 1.6 million square kilometers (Chen 2018 ). The friendly relation, and with the execution of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Pakistan can take advantage to establish this technology in Pakistan.

Trans-boundary level initiatives: Currently, India is damming Pakistani River water which was allocated to Pakistan under the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty with the help of World Bank (News Desk 2018 ). Constructive bilateral discussions can help solve the problem of water shortage and threats to the rivers dependent biodiversity.

Installation of low-cost water filters: The installation of a large number of low-cost water filters throughout the country and especially in polluted areas can provide clean drinkable water to the poor people who cannot afford the expensive bottled water.

Glaciers conservation: Outside the polar region, Pakistan has the highest numbers of glaciers (> 7200) than any other country (Khan 2017 ). Unfortunately, they are melting faster than any other part of the world to an extent that by the year 2035, the country will have no more glaciers (Dawn 2013 ). Furthermore, with the execution of CPEC, humongous quantity of black carbon (Nabi et al. 2017 ) will be blown by the air to the glaciers that will further accelerate melting. Therefore, a national plan for the management of these glaciers is needed. The impact on glaciers can be minimized by allowing only electric vehicles in the nearby highways, providing solar energy systems to the local inhabitants, reforestation, and control over greenhouse gasses.

Restoring lakes. Pakistan has a total of 60 lakes and most of them are highly polluted. Due to pollution, only in Manchar Lake; Asia’s largest freshwater lakes, 14 fish species have become extinct (Ebrahim 2015 ). Restoring these lakes will provide better habitat for the biodiversity, promote ecotourism and agriculture, and water to the lake-dependent.

Regulating tube-wells drilling: Due to increase in population, demand for water increases. Whether it is domestic use, commercial or agriculture, there has been an unregulated use of tube-wells across the country where people extract as much water as they like. Because of this practice, there has been an exponential rise in the number of tube-wells due to which water table is going down in many parts of the country. Therefore, an implementation of strict policy is needed to regulate the number of tube-wells. Furthermore, in the overexploited region, artificial groundwater recharge might help to improve the water table.

Awareness: In Pakistan, water is free and therefore no attention has been given by the public to its conservation. Both on the print and electronic media, awareness is needed for water conservation. Also, as it is practiced in many countries, it is feasible to come up with a realistic water pricing mechanism to discourage its enormous waste both at household level as well as commercial level.

In summary, water scarcity and pollution are serious overwhelming threats to the world’s sixth populous country, Pakistan. The government needs to pay urgent and serious attention to water conservation and minimizing water pollution to avoid serious consequences in the form of drought, famine, internal migration, and loss of biodiversity.

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Institute of Hydrobiology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China

Ghulam Nabi, Suliman Khan & Sunjeet Kumar

University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shijingshan District, Beijing, People’s Republic of China

Department of Management Studies, University of Malakand, Chakdara, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

German Development Institute, Bonn, Germany

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Nabi, G., Ali, M., Khan, S. et al. The crisis of water shortage and pollution in Pakistan: risk to public health, biodiversity, and ecosystem. Environ Sci Pollut Res 26 , 10443–10445 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-04483-w

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Received : 11 June 2018

Accepted : 05 February 2019

Published : 11 February 2019

Issue Date : 01 April 2019

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-04483-w

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• v.2022; 2022

Climate Change and Water Crises in Pakistan: Implications on Water Quality and Health Risks

Waseem ishaque.

1 Director Area Study Centre (China), NUML, Islamabad, Pakistan

Rida Tanvir

2 Department of International Relations, NUML, Islamabad, Pakistan

Mudassir Mukhtar

3 HoD Media and Communication Studies, NUML, Islamabad, Pakistan

Associated Data

The data used to support the findings of this study are included within this article.

Pakistan is vulnerable and most affected by adverse impacts of climate change. The study examines the impact of climate change on Pakistan during the year 2022, resulting into unprecedented heatwave and drought in summers followed by the abnormal rains and floods during monsoon season. Agriculture is the backbone of Pakistan's economy, which has been devastated by both drought and floods. While the flood water is gradually receding, the stagnant contaminated water is causing several health risks for the inhabitants. This research argues that water security is the emerging national security challenge for Pakistan. The article investigates the status of water availability vis-a-vis the burgeoning population, agriculture, and other uses of water. Impact of abnormal melting of glaciers, nonavailability of dams for storage of rainwater, and lack of smart means for agriculture water have been examined to empirically validate the arguments.

1. Introduction

Climate change has become international buzzword today and it is “no longer an unfamiliar term, which can be comprehended through personal knowledge, experience, and interactions” [ 1 ]. The phenomenon of climate change is largely attributed to human induced actions, more specifically in terms of emissions of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere [ 2 ]. Therefore, the phenomena of climate change are producing many threats on the Earth surface, ranging from droughts, heavy precipitation, and heatwaves to unprecedented tropical cyclones [ 3 ]. All these disasters have varying degree of impact over different geographical zones, resulting into environmental, health, economic, and social impact. There is no denying the fact that the world we live in today is far more vulnerable and affected by the negative impacts of climate change. However, the greatest health impact is being witnessed in the countries which have least share in greenhouse emissions [ 4 ]. There is also strong realization to attend to climate emergency, which is causing water security issues around the globe, and threatens food security, agricultural yield, food supply, and prices with serious implications on sustainable development, poverty, and inequality. The UNICEF warns about the availability and use of water in a nicely crafted statement that “the world needs to get water smart, and everyone has to realize that they have a role to play, and we cannot afford to wait” [ 5 ]. The “climate change is happening right now, and its effects are being felt around the world” [ 6 ].

Pakistan is vulnerable to the negative consequences of climate change, therefore, susceptible to unusual weather patterns, which can create strategic challenges [ 7 ]. The rising temperatures are causing rapid melting of glaciers in northern areas and unusual rains as seen in monsoon this year have created mayhem through floods, unprecedented in Pakistan's history in last 30 years. United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres stated that Pakistan is facing “the unrelenting effects of epochal levels of rains and flooding” [ 8 ]. The men and material losses are enormous and therefore, Pakistan is likely to face water crisis, food shortages, and serious implications for human security. Reacting to the recent flood situation in Pakistan, the Finance Minister Mr Miftah Ismail stated that “Pakistan is dealing with the worst effects of the climate change, which has caused over US$ 30 billion loss to Pakistan's economy and displacing 33 million people” [ 9 ]. This study explores the impacts of climate change on the availability, usage, and storage of water in Pakistan. The drought and floods of year 2022 have been taken as case study for analyzing the impacts of climate change across Pakistan by sampling both rural and urban areas. Figure 1 shows the sectoral usage of available water in Pakistan.

Sectoral distribution of water consumption in Pakistan.

2. Materials and Methods

The year 2022 is unprecedented in Pakistan's history of last three decades. The summers produced extreme temperatures which resulted in unusual melting of glaciers in northern areas of Pakistan resulting in partial collapse of bridge near Hassanabad in Hunza [ 10 ] as shown in Figure 2 .

Partial collapse of Hassanabad bridge.

Later, the exceptional monsoon rains produced extraordinary floods across the country, with huge men and material losses. The evolving trends indicate that Pakistan is most vulnerable to climate change. The floods have devastated the agriculture, livestock, and infrastructure. The loss to national economy is estimated at US$ 30 billion [ 11 ]. The survey and data analyses of past two and half decades reveal that Pakistan confronted from absolute dry and drought situations to devastating floods to the extent of witnessing both phenomenon in one calendar year as happening in the ongoing year 2022. The study has been completed by considering drought and floods data from primary and secondary sources with particular focus on this year. The field visits to rural and urban areas of Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), and Baluchistan were conducted for obtaining the first-hand information and data on the impacts of flood situation. The relevant officials in the ministry of climate change and meteorological offices were also interviewed and their views have been incorporated in the study for developing a comprehensive picture, conducting rationale analyses, and arriving at workable findings. The study is very contemporary and relevant and expected to provide valuable policy guidelines to relevant government ministries in Pakistan as they are grappling with the ongoing flood situation and rehabilitation process. Figure 3 highlights the vulnerability of Pakistan to climate change risks in the global context, which has been explored further in the study to empirically prove the vulnerabilities and risks.

Climate risk indexing and Pakistan's vulnerability [ 12 ].

3. Findings

3.1. deciphering the impact of climate change on pakistan.

Climate remains the most debated yet least addressed issue for decades. World leaders have often joined heads to tackle this global phenomenon but with little to no success. From motivational speeches to documentaries and movies on the effects of climate change on the Earth has been narrated time and again but to no avail [ 13 ]. The developed countries remain aloof of devastating effects of greenhouse gas emission is causing to the ozone layer. The growing depletion of the ozone layer is resulting in increased Ultraviolet (UV) radiations level on the surface of Earth, which has detrimental impact on human health resulting in cancer and weak immune system [ 14 ]. These UV radiations have devastating effect on the agriculture sector as well due to low yield of the crops [ 15 ]. Scientists have been talking about the infamous “black hole” in the Antarctic region for years. But the recent research in the year 2022 has discovered a hole in the Tropics (Tropics are the regions of the Earth near the equator) which is seven times bigger than the Antarctic region [ 16 ]. The more alarming situation is that, despite all this, the industrialized countries are less concerned by the deteriorating ozone and increase in global warming. Various protocols and initiatives like Kyoto Protocol, Copenhagen accord, and Paris accord had been initiated by the United Nations Framework on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Due to the Sovereign status of the global order, these agreements were not a binding, therefore, the industrial powers contributing the most carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases to the environment withdrew from these accords as it did not serve their economic interests. The major global contributors of the CO 2 emissions are given in Figure 4 :

10 most polluted countries as of 2020 [ 17 ].

Figure 4 gives an account for the 10 most polluted countries in the world as of 2020. However, China remains leading in that aspect in the year 2022 as well. United States remain on second number with 4.4 billion tons of CO 2 emissions, while India is third producing 2.3 billion tons of CO 2 .

According to Figure 5 , the above countries might not appear as the top 10 global CO 2 contributors, but they fall in the top 10 per capita CO 2 contributors, due to their large-scale reliance on oil and small number of populations. United Nations Secretary General Mr Antonio Gutters paid an official visit to Pakistan on 9-10 September 2002 to show solidarity to flood victims and assess the devastations through field visits and official briefings. He stated that the “nature has attacked Pakistan, which contributes less than 1% of global emissions” [ 19 ] while facing the consequences of developed countries emissions and pollution of climate. He further added that “it was outrageous that action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions was being put on the back burner, today it is Pakistan and tomorrow, it could be your country” [ 20 ], pointing toward industrialized countries. The Global Climate Index (GCI) 2021 has also vindicated Pakistan's vulnerabilities to climate risks as shown in Table 1 below, where Pakistan stands number 8 [ 21 ] in the vulnerability Index. The analysis presented highlights the severe impacts of climate change on Pakistan ranging from extreme heat and drought to dreadful floods. [ 22 ].

10 most polluting countries per capita 2022 [ 18 ].

Global climate index 2021 [ 22 ].

3.2. Examination of Water Calamities in Pakistan

Water is an essential need for ecosystem and human life. In recent times, it has been a growing concern that “precious blue” is becoming inadequate resource for future of human survival [ 23 ]. The amount of fresh water has remained constant on Earth surface since last 100 years; however, the access to water resources is unbalanced [ 24 ] with the rapid population growth, urbanization, and deforestation. Similarly, other issues, such as technological waste, growing industrialization, global warming, and climate change, all are among the key contributing factors for extreme water scarcity [ 25 ]. Although the water scarcity has emerged as a global challenge today, it has severely hit the underdeveloped countries like Pakistan with serious implications on all sectors. Pakistan stands among top 10 severely “high water risk countries” with agriculture as most affected sector [ 26 ]. Moreover, roughly 80% of the population is facing grave shortage of water during at least 1 month in a year which is very alarming. Under scarce surface water, ground water resources (last resort to water supply) are being over utilized. If appropriate measures are not initiated in time with “whole of nation” and “whole of government” approach, the situation would get worse in time to come and the entire country will face the severe crises of water scarcity by 2025, by most projections “Pakistan could run dry” [ 27 ]. The evolving situation has serious implications on the national security of Pakistan, as it will create challenges for sustainable agriculture production which contributes around 23% of Pakistan's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and creates job opportunities for around 42% of population [ 28 ]. According to the report published by Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE), Pakistan ranks 14th out of 17 very high-risk countries affected by water scarcity, as more than 1/3rd of available water is wasted due to bad management [ 29 ]. Since 1962, after the formalization of Indus Water Treaty (IWT) with India, per inhabitant water availability has plummeted from 5229 cubic meters to about 1187 in 2017, which is continuously on the downward slide [ 30 ]. The latest UN report on Pakistan's growing population indicates that by 2050, the population is likely to exceed 366 million [ 31 ], which will compound the water demand, which is predicted to reach 274-million-acre feet (MAF) by 2025 against available water supply of 191 MAF. This demand and supply gap would continue to grow year on year basis due to growing population and bad water management [ 32 ]. Figure 6 shows graphical representation of expected water situation in Pakistan by 2025 viz-a-viz the population [ 33 ].

Water availability in Pakistan by 2025 taken from Dr Muhammad Ashraf's research report.

3.3. Analysis on Flood Devastations in Pakistan in Year 2022

Most of Pakistan's economy is dependent on the agricultural sector; however, the industrial sector also contributes a great deal to the economic growth of Pakistan. The growing population is directly impacting the environment as the number of vehicles on roads and the number of industries to accommodate these individuals will also increase. The population of Pakistan at the time of independence was 32.5 million; however, as per the 2021 census, the population has increased to 225 million. Although, Pakistan remains significantly low on the global CO 2 emissions list, yet the effects of global warming have reached Pakistan in a sweeping manner [ 34 ]. The issue that industrialized countries failed to realize that the environment does not belong to a single country and when one country damages the ozone layer, the entire world would pay the price for that. The year 2022 was one such year for Pakistan when the effects of climate change brought heavy rainfalls in Pakistan resulting in major loss of lives, infrastructural damage, and massive economic losses to the tune of US$ 30 billion [ 35 ]. The NASA issued satellite imagery on the flood situation in Pakistan, which is given in Figure 7 .

NASA satellite imagery of floods in Pakistan, September 01, 2022.

Torrential rainfall and flooding have wreaked havoc across Pakistan killing over 1600 people including children and destroying infrastructure. According to statement given by Sherry Rehman Minister for Climate Change: “One third of the country is literally under water, a catastrophe of unknown precedent” The data are given in Table 2 and Figure 8 . Therefore, the devastating floods caused by unprecedented impact of climate change have hit Pakistan the most this year seriously impacting all the sectors of economy and society [ 36 ].

Flood devastation in Swat (KPK) and Baluchistan.

Province wise loss suffered because of heavy rain fall [ 36 ].

3.4. Analysis on Drinking Water Quality in Pakistan

The quality of available drinking water in Pakistan is in a dreadful state. Both surface and subsurface water sources are contaminated and disease prone [ 37 ] in major cities as well as rural areas. In the overall context, per capita the availability of water is decreasing precipitously in Pakistan, and the country is ranked as “water stressed” country and fast heading toward “water scarce” country in coming few years [ 38 ]. The evolving situation also creates challenges for availability of water for agricultural production, and daily usage requirements, therefore intensifying the human security issues in Pakistan [ 39 ]. Water pollution is the most common word today in Pakistan, which can be ascribed to numerous aspects affecting quality of available water [ 40 ]. The common causes are an upsurge in the atmospheric temperatures, with an inbuilt tendency to take heat to the threshold of drinking water, microbes, organic chemicals, nutrients, and heavy metals [ 41 ] . The research findings have discovered other factors as well affecting water quality, which include surface debris, sporadic water supply, improper discharge of water supply, proximity of sewage water to drinking water lines, industrial waste which has now become very common in almost all major cities in Pakistan, discharge of untreated sewage water and highly incompetent technical workers and service providers on water disposal projects [ 42 ]. The pollution of water due to geological and natural factors depends on the presence of different chemicals and their concentration in the geological formations in selected areas, while anthropogenic pollution is caused by extensive use of herbicides and pesticides, coal mining, oil refining, careless disposal of garbage, and septic tanks [ 43 ]. Because of such developments, fresh drinking water is available to hardly 20% of population, while 80% population is content with drinking of contaminated water [ 44 ]. The recent floods have further aggravated the situation as vast swaths of land in Pakistan is still under water, which is now contaminated causing several health issues. The ongoing situation has also impurified subsurface drinking water due to seepage of contaminated flood water deep in Earth, and government's inability for effective disposal of sewage water.

3.5. Water Security

Food and energy security is directly influenced by water security for agrarian society like Pakistan, which contributes more than 23% in national GDP. Agriculture is the backbone of Pakistan as it employs more than 40 million population and guarantor of breadbasket of the country. Therefore, “the loss of major river systems in the past had a domino effect on the thriving civilizations, which became extinct one after the other” [ 45 ]. Pakistan is transitioning from water strained country with declining “per capita fresh drinking water, which is less than 1800 cubic meters per year (m 3 /y) to water scarce country (per capita less than 1000 m 3 /y)” projected by 2035 [ 46 ]. Similarly, river water also receding to 800 m 3 /y is expected in 2026 due to growing population. Therefore, “water security is emerging threat for Pakistan” [ 47 ]. Pakistan is a lower riparian state reliant on the nature and other countries for river's water. India has constructed more than fifty big and small dams on the rivers coming to Pakistan, which are a constant source of irritation in the bilateral relations and vital for Pakistan's water and energy security. Similarly, Afghanistan is also considering construction of dams on Kabul River, which is likely to create two front dilemmas for Pakistan. The situation is even challenging when viewed in the context of availability of only two major dams in Pakistan, Tarbela, and Mangla which were constructed in late 1960s and 1970s; however, “their capacities are reducing due to silting.” While construction of new dams is highly politicized, charged with massive outrage from political parties and masses, therefore, not likely to happen in near future. It is expected that the availability of less water is likely to increase food shortages and create conflict among the federating units and the federation. Similarly, the negative impacts of climate change can cause melting glaciers and unusual pattern of rains, which may lead to flooding as we are witnessing in year 2022.

3.6. Food Security

The Indus Basin, which is the bedrock of agriculture support in Pakistan is seriously threatened by the negative impacts of climate change. The changing weather patterns may result in the reduction of crops yield “(15–20% in cereals) and livestock (20–30%)” [ 48 ], impacting negatively the dairy and poultry as the agriculture and livestock sectors are the “backbone of Pakistan's economy, which contributes 23% to GDP and accounts 60% exports of country” [ 49 ]. The food security is vulnerable to climate change due to reduction in crops and adversarial influences on livestock. Reduced water in real harvesting season is changing the crops patterns and the lands are vulnerable to droughts and flooding as well, which also create massive migrations. The devastations of ongoing floods have created serious food shortages in Pakistan and inflation is also all time high. Pakistan's Prime Minister has already rung the alarm bells by stating that Pakistan is vulnerable to serious food shortage, and it is feared that essential food items may be imported this year and next year as all cultivable lands are under water [ 50 ].

3.7. Implications of Climate Change on the National Mosaic of Pakistan

3.7.1. competition over water resources.

Agriculture-based economies are heavily dependent on the natural resources of the state. This is extremely critical situation for the state to cope with the needs of the masses and economic challenges when there is a scarcity of sustainable renewable and nonrenewable resources. Countries like Pakistan where socioeconomic challenges, such as rising population, lack of political will, internal security issues, urbanization, lack of public policies for managing population, and natural resources are growing at a faster pace as compared with its economic growth. Even the geographical position of the state near the equator is unable to supplement its growing needs and demands. It is an alarming situation for the Pakistan that in the presence of other socioeconomic challenges, the drastic impacts of climate change have also increased its economic and political challenges, while the insufficiency of water reservoirs is creating serious concerns of inter-provincial disharmony. The rising population has not only affected the quantity of water reservoirs but has also depleted the quality in the same manner. The increase in anthropogenic activities is causing water stress on natural reservoirs, while since independence in 1947, the country is facing persistent decline in the availability of water year on year basis due to multitude of factors examined above. According to the estimates of Mr. Jamshed Iqbal Cheema, Chairman Pakistan Agriculture Scientists Association (PASA), in 1947, the capita water availability was 5600 cubic meters, which decreased by 406% from 5260 cubic meters in 1951 to 1038 cubic meters in 2010 and 877 cubic meters in 2020. The PASA estimates that available water will further deplete by 2025 to a level of 660 cubic meters and by 2050 will reach 575 cubic meters as shown in Figure 9 below [ 51 ].

Per capita availability of water reservoirs in Pakistan [ 52 ].

The causes of water shortages in Pakistan exist in two types: (a) incidental causes related to poor water management policies at local level, (b) operational causes include the political conflicts (over the water resources on provincial/institutional level) and the societal differences over water management and distribution. Water issue is not only related with the environmental degradation, but also linked with the social factors as abnormal population growth causes a rise in demand of clean water resources, disturbance of equilibrium between communities, provinces, and water resources distribution. As Pakistan consists of multiple ethnicities and diversified geographical terrain but competition over the access of water resources has often created tensions and conflicts among the federating units. The growing vulnerabilities of communities over the insufficiency of water reservoirs promote lawlessness, antistate sentiments and sense of deprivation among its own nationals. Due to lack of strong monitoring mechanism over channelization of available water, for creating a balanced approach between demand and supply of available water, the population is incentivized for illegal water proliferation. The tacit approval from the water management departments has resulted in water theft cases mostly in Southern Punjab and interior Sindh, as there are many illegal drillings, hidden pipelines, and unrecorded water connections from main supply lines. Such illegal water channels mostly exist adjacent to sanitation systems in cities and rural areas, contaminating the available water. The increase in anthropogenic activities is also causing water stress on natural reservoirs.

Another reason of growing water scarcity is unlawful construction and sanitation systems near or over the water channels, which continuously contaminate water, especially during floods blend these altogether. The role of administration is highly crucial in this matter to control such catastrophic constructions and lessen the pressure on water consumption. The unprotected constructions along rivers, lakes, and streams often cause blockage of natural water channels particularly in monsoon and rainy season resulting into loss of lives, roads network, and infrastructure damage as the enormity of flood damages to clean water channels is immeasurable. In 2010 floods, Pakistan witnessed unimaginable losses as around 20 million people were victims, 1.7 million died, 436 healthcare centers were devastated, 80% food reserves were smashed, 2.9 million households were severely damaged, nearly 1.1 million houses were damaged and $ 9.7 billion economic loss in 135 districts. While the issues of accessing the safe water channels was still in demand after flood (96.8% before vs 96.7%). In year 2022 floods, these losses have increased manifolds and caused unprecedented damages to natural water resources. Around 33 million people are direct victims, death troll rising above 1500, while 110 district of Baluchistan (Quetta, Pishin, Killa Saifullah, Nushki, Jaffarabad, and Washuk), Punjab (Koh e Suleman ranges, Rajanpur, D. G Khan), Sindh (Mirpur Khas, Thatta, Sajawal, and Shaheed Benazir Abad) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Swat and lower/upper Dir) are declared as most calamity hit areas. While 30% water channels are severely affected, and 63% flood victims are struggling for sufficient clean water channels. The economic losses suffered have been estimated to the tune of US$ 30 billion. The analyses amply highlight the insufficiency of available water and demand, compounded by adverse effects of floods during this year.

3.7.2. Negative Impact on Agriculture Sector

Pakistan is heavily relying on agricultural sector for its international exports and domestic food demands, but in the presence of water crisis and conventional irrigation system for its agricultural production, the country will face severe challenges of water scarcity in times to come. According to Global Food and Security Index 2021, Pakistan ranked 80 out of 113 countries [ 53 ] and Global Food and Security Index 2022, it has further slipped by four numbers and now ranks 84 out of 113 countries [ 54 ]. Pakistan lags behind all South Asian countries in food insecurity. The lack of progress in agricultural sector is also linked with the mismanagement of land and water resources, unsatisfactory policies of water governance, exponential population growth, and the negative impacts of climate change. Pakistan has also failed to adopt new strategies like advanced water management in agricultural sector, usage of adaptation methods in yields productions to enhance water consumption in eco-friendly manner, educate farmers about the water recycling and water productivity techniques. While water scarcity is a highly charged political issue in Pakistan as there is a turf war between the provinces and the federation. However, Punjab government took good initiative and introduced national water policy of Pakistan to ensure regularization of water governance system in the country. In the presence of fragile agriculture sector development, climate degradation impacts have worsened the livelihood and yield production. Therefore, on a year-on-year basis, the agriculture yield is squeezing, demand of water is increasing, and unplanned urbanization is resulting into loss of precious agriculture land. The overall impact of these issues is creating negative repercussions on agriculture production and aggravating food security situation in Pakistan.

3.7.3. Water Quality and Public Health Risks

The availability of clean drinking water is biggest national security challenge for Pakistan today. The water proliferation and loss of water supply sources from government record is not only raising the administrative issues but also causing multiple public health problems. The contamination of water along with the presence of sanitary pipelines expose the population with the contagious and chronic diseases like diarrhea, cholera, jaundice, typhoid, hepatitis C, liver cancer, and gastrointestinal infections. The water scarcity in Pakistan has enormous impact on health care system as well as the country is struggling with the diseases that are almost nonexistential in developed countries. The significant findings of this study are that in Pakistan, 50% diseases spread through contaminated water and provide most suitable medium of spread and transfer various bacterial and viral infections from human to human or animals to human as the country is facing the 40% of mortality rate caused by the contaminated water intake, while the frontline victims of waterborne diseases are pregnant women, newly born babies, and early teenage groups. It is also important to note that the primary source of water in Pakistan is sub-surface water channels, which over a period have become the hub of different variants of pathogens. According to World Health Organization (WHO) report, approximately, 2.5 million deaths occur annually in Pakistan from widespread diarrheal diseases caused by bacterial and protozoan agents present in inferior quality of drinking water. Around 80% population is exposed to unsafe water as UNICEF Pakistan has also shared the alarming fact that the well-being and health standards of youngsters are at risk; therefore, each year, 53,000 children under the age of 5 years lose their lives due to unhygienic water as 70% of household work and domestic usage of water in Pakistan is dependent on bacterial water sources. The floods of 2022 have compounded the problems of availability and access to clean drinking water. The field visits to rural and urban Sindh, KPK, and Baluchistan vindicated scarcity and contamination of drinking water, which has been reported by several NGOs and media as well. The stagnant water has been contaminated due to mixing of sewage water and created ideal breading grounds for bacteria causing serious health risks. Nonavailability of compatible medical support, inaccessibility, and nondisposal of flood water have created many health risks and entire population in affected areas is vulnerable to adverse effects of contaminated water. In most areas, the disposal of flood water is left to the nature and the government agencies have demonstrated inability to manage it, therefore, spread of waterborne diseases will continue for prolonged period in future.

4. Policy Recommendations

4.1. legislation for interministerial coordination.

The ministry of climate change should take a lead role and coordinate with all the provinces on the issues of water security. All related agencies and departments should work in harmony with this ministry for synergetic response. Similarly, international engagements would be essential component for successful policy implementation; therefore, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Climate Change should remove overlaps and avoid duplications wherever required.

4.2. Proper Enforcement of Legislation

“Pakistan Water Apportionment Accord 1991” highlights the judicious distribution of Indus River System (IRS) water among the federating units of Pakistan. However, this accord was unable to deal with the conflicts arising due to unfair distribution of water at times. To resolve this issue, “Indus River System Authority” (IRSA) was established in 1992 [ 55 ], through an act of Parliament to work as an institution for Indus water resources regulation and monitoring in Pakistan. However, the problems related to fair water distribution, monitoring and installation system, and the treatment plants lagged during the implementation phase. There always remained issues between Punjab and Sindh regarding unfair water theft. Despite establishment of “Council of Common Interest” (CCI) to resolve the grievances of provinces, but issues persist due to weak implementation mechanism and weak governance. The devolution of power under 18th amendment of the constitution, devolved the water distribution among the rural and urban areas of each province as an internal matter of the provinces; however, water crises remain at large seriously impacting inter-provincial harmony. The Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) is assigned the task of ensuring clean drinking water across Pakistan. Implementation of water-related policies requires a great deal of realization and urgency on the part of the political elites of Pakistan. The gravity of the issue needs to be addressed as a national emergency, otherwise, Pakistan is vulnerable to water scarcity situations normally witnessed in African continent.

4.3. Judicious Distribution of Water

Being a lower riparian, Sindh is often complaining about the water shortage, especially in the pre-monsoon period each year. The claims made by Sindh government at numerous occasions regarding Punjab stealing its share of water have been denied by Indus River System Authority (IRSA). After the 18th amendment, the allocation of resources to the provinces has been ensured to be judicious; however, the internal distribution of these resources to the rural and urban areas is the responsibility of the provinces. The IRSA is mandated to address, regulate, and develop standard operating procedures (SOPs) for water allocation to the provinces. Regrettably, each province has its own peculiarities in terms of agricultural needs and population, therefore, making the interpretation and implementation of the accord more difficult. To resolve water distribution issues on sustainable basis, the “whole of government approach” is recommended along with on-site consultative visits by the representatives of provincial and federal governments and political leaders for expeditious resolution of conflicting issues. Creating unnecessary fault lines is detrimental to national integration, which should be avoided at all costs.

4.4. Water Treatment Plants and Recycling of Water

Pakistan is in dire need of installing treatment plants as every year, hospitals are flooded with patients, both adults and children suffering from diseases resulting from contaminated water. People living in both urban and rural areas are exposed to contagions and microbial bacteria, which enter the body through water, unsafe for drinking. Not everyone in Pakistan can afford bottled water, therefore, it is the responsibility of the state to provide its citizens with safe drinking water. As we know that Pakistan receives a major portion of heavy rains between the months of July to September, where majority of rainwater ends up in rivers, ponds, while the rest of it results in heavy floods of cities and inhabitants. The government through installation of treatment plants can filter clean drinking water for ensuring public health. Similarly, more wastewater recycling plants are the need of time, which should be installed at priority. In rural areas, wastewater treatment is almost nonexistent, leading to pollution of surface and groundwater [ 56 ]. The government should pay instantaneous attention to the evolving challenges of treatment of wastewater for sparing clean water for drinking purposes and balanced delivery of recycled water to other uses like irrigation.

4.5. Climate Emergency and Disaster Response Mechanism

Pakistan was successful in convincing the world leaders during recently concluded United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) sessions about vulnerabilities to climate risks and the unprecedented impact during year 2022. UN Secretary General Antoni Guterres and US President Joe Biden personally appealed for help for Pakistan to alleviate the suffering and quick rehabilitation of flood victims. It is suggested that Pakistan should consider climate diplomacy as an urgent priority and initiate the process of engagement at bilateral and multilateral levels with developed countries to reduce the vulnerabilities and risks of climate change. Additionally, the disaster response mechanism also needs to be re-energized with strong interagency coordination. The existing structure of national and provincial disaster management authorities should be reinforced through capacity building and professional training. Appropriate equipment for rescue and relief operations also needs to be provided at vulnerable sites for immediate response to save maximum lives. The infrastructure development in flood affected areas should be expedited for which essential resources should be mobilized well in time. Such preparations should be done and rehearsed every year during pre-monsoon season for synergetic and a befitting response to minimize reaction time and save maximum lives.

5. Conclusion

Climate change is the evolving global threat, and Pakistan is most vulnerable from its negative impacts. The year 2022 witnessed extreme drought on one hand, followed by unusual floods over the short span of 2-3 months. Therefore, for Pakistan, alarm bells are ringing to take the holistic stock of situation by declaring climate emergency and adopt “whole of nation” and “whole of government” approaches for a comprehensive response ensuring strong interagency cooperation and capitalizing on the synergetic application of all Elements of National Power (EoNP) for optimum results. It is essential to integrate the respective departments under the umbrella of national and provincial disaster response agencies for harmonious functioning, coordination, and execution. There is dire need to create strong national realization to “conserve, preserve, and proportionally distribute existing water resources” [ 57 ]. Moreover, smart means for spending agriculture water and recycling of water for uses other than drinking would be helpful as such practices have been adopted by most of developed countries. The construction of more water reservoirs is the need of time and current floods across Pakistan are the testimony of this fact. It is felt that this study shall help the relevant government ministries as an academic policy input for addressing water security issues in Pakistan on sustainable basis.

Data Availability

Conflicts of interest.

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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Water special: punjab's water crisis, water-guzzling crops and heavy use of fertilisers have both contributed to punjab’s water crisis.

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year in the state and groundwater extraction is 165 per cent of the naturally-available recharge. The biggest culprit is the paddy crop that is grown in 22 districts of the state. Studies done by the Ludhiana-based Punjab Agriculture University (PAU) show that every kilogram of paddy requires roughly 5,000 liters of water. PAU’s studies also highlight the fact that Punjab consumes fertilisers at 190.1 kg per hectare, much higher than the national average of 88.2 kg. Apart from paddy, wheat (rabi crop) requires heavy doses of fertilisers. The damage done to groundwater due to heavy usage of fertilisers is severe.

“Farm habits don’t change overnight,” says Sarvjit Singh, principal secretary, water resources, Punjab. “Work is going on both at the policy level, as well as at the ground level to move farmers away from paddy”. The state, says Singh, has been working with Israel’s national water company Mekorot, to formulate a water conservation and management master plan. Israel recycles over 80 per cent of its waste water. Punjab, which recycles less than 10 per cent, has a long way to go to achieve that. Mekorot is expected to study the state’s water usage patterns and provide a solution to conserve, recycle as well as optimise usage.

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Pollution of Punjab waters: Can’t just go with the flow anymore

Ht roundtable: key stakeholders dissect a problem that is under the spotlight after spill of tonnes of molasses from a sugar mill in gurdaspur killed thousands of fish in the beas and led to scare among people about drinking water from canals..

Punjab’s rivers are in a bad shape, with large stretches contaminated by toxic waste and sewage; and require a comprehensive clean-up plan without any further delay. On this, five leading stakeholders agreed at a roundtable organised by Hindustan Times on Friday.

Kahan Singh Pannu, chairman of Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB); Sachit Jain, chairman of CII (northern region); Baba Balbir Singh Seechewal, environmentalist; and IS Paul, chairman of Drish Shoes; and Birinderjit Singh, environment engineer who worked in the PPCB, participated in the 80-minute discussion moderated by Executive Editor Ramesh Vinayak. They dissected the grave problem that has come under the spotlight after spill of tonnes of molasses from a sugar mill killed thousands of fish in the Beas.

(To Pannu) As head of the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB), can you tell us how serious river water pollution is in Punjab?

Pannu: As Ravi’s major part is not in Punjab, we mainly have three rivers — Beas, Sutlej and Ghaggar. Beas is by and large OK, except last week’s incident. In Sutlej, we get B-grade water at Nangal. When it crosses Kiratpur Sahib, water becomes C-grade. When it cross Ludhiana, it becomes E-grade, and that’s the last grade. So is the case with Ghaggar. We get D-grade water from Haryana, and by the time it crosses Patiala, particularly Khanauri, it becomes E-grade. So the water in our water bodies is polluted. As there is no grade below E-grade, all the rivers are in a bad shape. We have to accept that, and work out methods to clean them.

(To Seechewal) There are two reasons for pollution, one is industrial pollution, second is untreated sewage or urban waste that flows into rivers. You did a lot of work on it and cleaned the Kali Bein. You have played a big role in projecting environment issues on to the centre stage. When you started your efforts, President APJ Abdul Kalam also visited you in 2006. Do you think there are any positive changes?

Seechewal: Abdul Kalam took river water pollution very seriously and raised the issue world over. Since 2008, we examined water in different rivers (water channels) — Kali Bein, Chitti Bein, Kala Sanghian drain and the Sutlej river. More than Kali Bein, the Chitti Bein and Sutlej are dangerously polluted. We raised a bundh on Kala Sanghain drain for not allowing polluted water to fall in it. Before the 2009 general elections, we took all candidates to the drain and I visited a cancer hospital in Rajasthan to know the causes. Through Budha Nullah and Kala Sanghian drain, toxic water of Ludhiana’s electroplating industry and of leather industry in Jalandhar, which uses cyanide, is flowing for decades. Then, through Chitti Bein, it falls into Sutlej and further flows through the bird sanctuary. Then this water mixes with Beas, and the quality of Beas being good it is used for drinking in Malwa belt of Punjab and Rajasthan. Because, subsoil water of Malwa belt has sulphur content, and in Rajasthan the water is saline and not fit for drinking. We are sitting for discussion today because molasses from Kiri Afgana mill have flown into Beas, large number of fish got killed; but what about industry dumping chemicals into the rivers? Have you ever heard of fish getting killed in Sutlej? No, because here they are extinct! There was a time when fish died in the Sutlej, people noticed too; but after that the fish never survived in the river. Now people are getting killed due to cancer. Imagine, people are drinking water that flows from Kala Sanghian drain and Budha Nullah, same water is used in gurdwaras and places of pilgrimage! People in Rajasthan don’t know what is mixed in the water that they drink; we are sending them industrial waste. With the death of fish, the focus is again in the river water. There was a time when A-grade water used to flow into Sutlej and Beas from Himachal Pradesh, now both rivers receive B-grade water. Earlier (polluted) water of Sutlej used to get diluted when Beas water mixed with it. What now when water from Beas is also polluted? As a member of PPCB, I used to take samples of polluted water, but I was not heard. We raised the issue at all levels, even before the previous CM. We are fed up with political leaders. We now pray before God so that better sense prevails on the government.

(To Jain) I have data from PPCB that about 13,000 industrial units have dysfunctional effluent treatment plants, or do not have any. Why can these anti-pollution measures not be implemented? What are the practical difficulties from the industry’s point of view?

Jain: There are three main sources of pollution — industry, municipal waste which is huge, and the third is excessive use of pesticides in the farms that reaches this water. It is a serious problem, and entire society is to be made aware. The problem happens when industry is attacked straightaway and then industry tries to put up a defensive mechanism. There are pollution norms here that are nowhere else in the world. At CII, we don’t support any company violating the norms. Spill of molasses is a serious case of negligence and should be investigated.

Can you please elaborate on norms which are not practical?

Jain: Like, ‘zero liquid discharge’ norm discussed here are nowhere in the world. You make these norms applicable, and large companies will close down and smaller companies, which are anyway not complying with the norms even today, will not comply. Better compliance needs to be enforced first. Move out industry from a location where installation of effluent treatment plants is not possible. Shift them to big industrial parks. For example, electroplating industry should be shifted to one place and an environment treatment plant should be installed.

(To Paul) You belong to an industry (leather) seen as the villain of the piece. As Baba Seechewal also said, Kali Bein and Chitti Bein are polluted due to effluents from tanneries. What is your perspective?

Paul: Contribution of pollution by leather industry is very small — in Kali Bein, 50-55 MLD water comes from 14 kilometers, and the leather complex is at the end, contributing 3.5. The model of leather industry followed everywhere else is that there is one outlet for effluents, after treatment by the CTP. I want to make 3-4 points — polluting industry should itself be made responsible for treatment; if solutions are imported they will not work; make industry accountable as it’s the biggest stakeholder. Make sure land allotted to industrial units has sufficient place to install treatment plants. Solid waste management is also a big problem to which we need to give attention.

Water quality in Punjab’s rivers: Status check

Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) monitors four rivers — Sutlej, Beas, Ravi and Ghaggar — under National Water Quality Monitoring Programme (NWMP) at 38 points on monthly basis. Based on analysis results for March, here’s the status:

Sutlej: Quality at upstream Nangal conforms to Class B, that is, the water can be used for outdoor bathing. It becomes Class C at Kiratpur Sahib; or drinking after conventional treatment. Hundred metres downstream of confluence of Buddha Nullah, it deteriorates to Class E, which can be used for irrigation, but not for drinking. Then East Bein brings along sewage and industrial effluent from Nawanshahr, Phagwara and Jalandhar. By the time it reaches Harike, quality improves a little, and downstream from Harike in the canals — after confluence of Sutlej with Beas — it conforms to Class C.

Beas: Water quality at Talwara conforms to Class B, that is, the water can be used even for outdoor bathing. And this quality remains same throughout the stretch of the river until it reaches Harike and meets Sutlej.

Ravi: The water in the river is comparatively clean along its entire length since there is little human activity around it and it remains Class B. There is only one sampling station on this river, at Madhopur headworks.

Ghaggar: It has bad quality of water due to meagre flow; carries sewage from various drains and cities. Quality at all sampling points conforms to Class D or E.

Seechewal: No doubt, 90% of pollutant in Kali Bein is municipal waste.

Jain: Sewage if properly treated can be used for irrigation, hence less load on groundwater. Treated water can also be used in industry. We need to diversify away from paddy in Punjab so as to reduce water consumption. I think free power to agriculture sector though a political compulsion should also go, because it leads to misuse of power and groundwater.

(To Birinderjit) What went wrong with CTPs and ETPs in Punjab?

Birinderjit: Major issue is: Why is sewage entering water bodies? All sewage grids were laid with water bodies as final outlets; instead, sewage should have been collected at one place and used for irrigation. We should cut off all sewage systems from water bodies. Industry says sewage is also coming into drains. But sewage doesn’t contain toxic material, we can easily treat it. No natural compound will treat chromium and nickel from electroplating and dying units! I had refused the NOC to Tajpur Road on the banks of Buddha Nullah, but now it’s an industrial zone.

What is the present position of CTPs in Punjab?

Birinderjit: The local bodies department is to be blamed. They don’t have the expertise to operate these plants. Three plants were installed in Ludhiana by the water supply and sewage board and handed over to the local bodies department.

So untreated water is still flowing beyond the treatment plants?

Birinderjit: Yes, not all but some part of it. We have spent huge money on plants; they should work.

(To Pannu) PPCB has an important role of enforcement. It is generally believed that it is reeking of corruption which is coming in way of strict compliance of water and air pollution norms. What are your views?

Pannu: No, it is not that the PPCB is a big institution. We are a team of 100 engineers, with lakhs of industries. In the past four years, for four months the engineers are busy in checking stubble burning. Of 166 cities in Punjab, only 66 have effluent treatment plants; 100 engineers can’t solve the entire problem. We have told the CM that we need sewage treatment plants in all our cities and towns. Don’t talk of environment alone; talk of education, policing and governance — we need to spread awareness and should not shift the onus onto others.

What about norms that are unrealistic?

Jain: There are times when suggestions that are not realistic are given. PPCB officials are scientific people. They know what is possible and what is not. If someone who may not understand the issue but gives them directions anyway, they are forced to carry out orders. The idea of zero liquid discharge, for example, was considered in the US in the 1970s in the Congress, and they realised it was not practical. The consciousness of every citizen has to be raised. Just imagine Swachh Bharat; the impact it has started having on people. There is new awareness. If leaders through their communication start creating awareness, things will change. Where people are digressing, action has to be there. As an industry body, we will support it fully. If you want to close companies which are blatantly violating rules the norms, we don’t support such companies.

Buddha Nullah in Ludhiana is a test case of water pollution. Crores have been spent on the plans of cleaning, but nothing has changed.

Pannu: I don’t think crores have been spent. The kind of investment it needs was not made. If money had been spent, things would have been better. Ludhiana has a population of 30 lakh. As per norms, water discharge should be 400 MLD. We have STPs to treat 450 MLD, but total water discharge is 750 MLD. Both power and water are free, so people just use water as per their free will. We need to stop that. When we go to the World Bank or other agencies for funds for STPs, they say you have adequate capacity. We need to check water consumption as per norms. It is the same situation is Jalandhar and other cities.

Paul: The political class also has to show conscientiousness. Wherever an STP is to be set up, they start opposing. There have been such instances in Amritsar, Jalandhar and other places.

People say STPs lead to a stink in the area.

Birinderjit: The state has been divided into 7 ones. A pilot city has been decided which also takes care of waste of adjoining cities. Biodegradable waste putrefies and produces a fetid smell if it lies there for two or more days. In some seasons, it putrefies faster. It depends on how efficiently the system is run.

Pannu: We look for solutions abroad and try to get technologies that are expensive. There is talk of use of waste to generate electricity at, let’s say, Rs 8 per unit. When you can get electricity at Rs 2 to 2.50 per unit, why go for power that costs Rs 8 a unit. Punjab has 166 municipal committees that generate huge amount of solid waste daily, posing a huge problem. We need local solutions to solve our problems. If we look for solutions from abroad that cost a lot, these problems cannot be solved. For instance, we are focusing on water conservation in industry and doing water audit. Five paper industries in Punjab are using 100 KLD water. When they told me that they reduced it to 50 KLD, I asked them to try and bring it to 30 or so. We are working on it. Similarly, Punjab has 3,100 brick kilns with a huge amount of smoke billowing out of them. They have been told to use new zigzag high-draft technology from next season. It will cost them about Rs 30 lakh per kiln, but will ensure substantial reduction in pollution. In leather industry complex also, we got a pre-settler tank and solved 50% of the problem. If we can import technology that suits us, it is okay. But it is our problem, and we have to find the solution.

(To Seechewal) You have been running a campaign for clean environment for a long time. Do you notice any change in awareness or a proactive approach among people and governments? Also, why have we not been able to produce another Seechewal?

Seechewal: When we started, bureaucrats and politician had their own different views. Politicians saw no harm in waste water from homes flowing into rivers. We said that we want to stop polluted water from polluting our rivers. Now, Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) speaks on the subject and addresses the nation. How the issue of dead fish in Beas became international headlines reflects more awareness among the people. As for another Seechewal, we all have to start from our homes, streets and towns. We need to work together for a better environment. Everyone should take responsibility and take the lead. Sewa Singh ji is working it. SGPC is distributing saplings. In 100 villages, NRIs spent their money to lay sewerage. Wherever STPs have been set up, they should be run efficiently. Crores spent on them from taxpayers’ money are being wasted. Municipal committees, PPCB and other departments have to have accountability.

What is an overall solution for ensuring that our water bodies are not polluted?

J ain: It’s difficult to give an overall solution. Awareness is important, and this has to start from our leaders, because they are the ones whose voices are heard the most. Also, each person has to start from within. We need to focus on water conservation in our homes, industry and farms. Each company has to see to it that it has pollution control equipment and is operating them. It has to be understood as a crime if you are not treating your water. We have to have public ostracisation of people who are not treating their water. Just like black money has now become a bad word. Earlier, everybody said, Why should I pay tax?’, and it was considered a norm. That has become (a reason for) ostracisation today. Not treating your water and air has to be seen as bad.

Pannu: As a society, it seems we are on the verge of extinction. What we are doing with water is unpardonable. There are vested interests that say, ‘Allow me, but stop others!’ We tried to get strict with the dyeing industry in Ludhiana. They downed their shutters and went to politicians to complain. When we stop farmers, they lock up our teams. The Captain government is serious and wants to take efforts to check water pollution to the next level. A committee has been set up under environment minister OP Soni plan for the cleaning of rivers. The Beas disaster was due to reaction in a tank storing molasses. PPCB has no control on that. Our role is with regard to effluents. But the department dealing with this (molasses) is not willing to take its responsibility. We cannot shirk our responsibility and have taken strictest action. Such action has not be taken anywhere in the country. Government has also said that enough is enough.

Paul: Role of the press is also important in creating consciousness. Also, cropping pattern needs to change. Underground water is available at 22 metres, but we are still insistent on paddy and sugarcane, ignoring the associated problems.

What about political interference?

Birinderjit: When you are in the state services and an appointee of the government, it will have control over you. Like IAS and IPS, an environment service was also thought of, but was not allowed to be successful. Politicians intervene, but they often do not know the gravity of the issue.

(To Pannu) You said awareness has increased, but the quality of river water has not seen any change.

Pannu: Awareness has improved, but investment has not. This can be achieved with investment. We have been only talking about crores and not spending. Piecemeal efforts are not going to work. We need a comprehensive plan. In his meeting, the chief minister asked the departments not to make individual efforts but collaborate for a solution in a timebound manner. The chief secretary has been told to arrange funds. However, Buddha Nullah is the biggest challenge for bureaucrats of our generation. For 35 years, governments have been talking about cleaning it without any success, because what is required has not been done.

(To Seechewal) You are in touch with NRIs. Are they willing to help as the government does not have funds?

Seechewal: How can NRIs take care of the problem of solid waste in areas of municipal bodies? MCs are a huge problem. They take taxes, but don’t do enough. Polluted water comes from industry, but PPCB gets blamed. Why not prosecute them (offenders)? Those responsible should be made accountable.

(To Pannu) What deterring action is being taken?

Pannu: There is provision for criminal prosecution under the law, and hundreds of prosecutions have been launched. But there is a problem. I have 100 engineers, and prosecution means they have to go for hearings in courts. Cases have been pending for 10 years without any decision, and hearing dates are given. There are 250 cases. I am not sure if anyone has been prosecuted so far. Conviction rate is negligible. It is time-consuming. We shut down factories and forfeit security.

Birinderjit: The spill in Beas has posed a serious problem. Beas water has reached Harike wetland which also gets water from Buddha Nullah that has nitrogen and phosphorous. These two constituents will lead to algae bloom, and interfere with the drinking water system. There is a need to do something to oxidize the molasses and take precautionary steps on priority.

Watch the discussion here:

A journalist of over 35 years standing, Ramesh Vinayak is Executive Editor of Hindustan Times at Chandigarh He specialises in covering the north Indian territory of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, besides the Punjabi diaspora. ...view detail

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The poisoned landscapes of Punjab

Punjab, riding high on pesticides

Pesticide use continues to be very high in agriculture in India, where estimated annual production losses due to pests amount to approximately  US$ 42.66 million  per year. Pesticides are chemical compounds that kill pests such as insects, rodents, fungi and unwanted plants (weeds) and mainly include insecticides, fungicides and herbicides. Insecticides form the highest share of total pesticide use in India.

The consumption of pesticides has risen considerably in India over the past decade - in 2014-15 it was almost 50% higher than in 2009-10. That's a 50% spike in pesticide use in a span of just 5 years.

While Punjab is the third highest consumer of pesticides after Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, the per hectare consumption of pesticides is the highest in Punjab followed by Haryana and Maharashtra.

Killers not just for pests

Research shows that pesticides can contaminate soil, water, the air and vegetation . In addition to killing insects or weeds that harm crops, pesticides can be toxic to birds, fish, insects and plants. Heavy pesticide use can cause a decline in beneficial microorganisms in the earth, leading to poor soil quality in the long run. Pesticide sprays can also spread rapidly through the air, posing risks to areas far away from the actual field of application. and they can reach surface water through runoff from treated plants and soil. Pesticides also pollute groundwater by leaching downwards or vertically through the soil, thus insidiously entering the food chain. Groundwater pollution due to pesticides is a serious problem because it can take many years for the contamination to dissipate.

Pesticide residues can include heavy metals that are released into the water, soil and the food chain. Studies show that long term consumption of food and water containing heavy metals can be extremely harmful to human health, causing damage to the lungs, liver, kidneys and other vital organs. It can also lead to a number of physical, muscular and neurological degenerative diseases . Repeated and long-term contact with some heavy metals or their compounds can negatively affect the endocrine and reproductive systems and eventually cause cancer.

Malwa, the pesticide hub of Punjab

The Malwa region of Punjab consumes nearly 75 percent of the total pesticides used in the state. The high use of pesticides, along with environmental and social factors, is suspected to have led to a high concentration of pesticide residues in the water, soil and food chain, threatening the health of the local population and the environment in the region.

The region has been described as India’s  "cancer capital" due to the abnormally high number of cancer cases , which have increased 3-fold in the last 10 years. Studies of this region have also highlighted a sharp increase in intellectual disability and reproductive disorders, suspected to be due to pesticide use. 

However, very few studies have attempted to explore the impact of pesticides on the environment, food, vegetables and water in the area and its connection with the debilitating health problems faced by the local people.

This study from two villages in Malwa region - Arnetu of Patiala District and Wallipur of Ludhiana District of Punjab - titled “ Pesticides in agricultural runoffs affecting water resources: A study of Punjab (India) ” published in the journal Agricultural Sciences , aimed at assessing:

• Pesticide use and its frequency among the farmers in the two villages;
• Levels of pesticide concentrations in runoff from fields, rivers and streams, and 
• Health impact on the residents.

The study found that:

• Pesticide use was very high in both the villages As high as 80 percent and 81 percent of respondents from Arnetu and Wallipur villages used pesticides in their agricultural fields.
• Use of pesticides depended on the type of crops cultivated Farmers who cultivated wheat were spraying pesticide three times in the whole crop season. Initially, herbicides were sprayed to clear unwanted plants like climbers and creepers. Pesticides were used later to control pests and weeds.
• Pesticides led to extensive water and soil pollution In this region, rain and irrigation caused extensive leaching or downward movement of pesticides and fertilisers through the soil and the unsaturated zone, to the groundwater. There were several other sources of water pollution as well, such as decayed animal, plant and nitrogenous wastes, industrial effluents and domestic wastewater containing detergents. High amounts of insecticides and pesticides were found in agricultural runoff in all seasons, with the highest being after the monsoon, due to increased surface runoff.
• Vegetables were saturated with dangerous levels of heavy metals from pesticides Vegetables tested in the region along the banks of the river Ghaggar were found to be highly contaminated with harmful heavy metals such as chromium, manganese, nickel, copper, lead, cadmium and uranium. The concentrations of these heavy metals in all the vegetables samples were found to be higher than those recommended by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) , the  World Health Organisation (WHO)  and the  Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) guideline values.
• River water was loaded with toxic heavy metals from pesticides The waters of river Ghaggar in the region were found to be heavily loaded with toxic heavy metals such as chromium, manganese, nickel, zinc, antimony, tin, lead, strontium, cadmium, uranium, titanium, with their concentrations being much higher than the safe limits prescribed by various organisations and agencies such as the US EPA, WHO and the BIS.
• People from the villages reported a range of health problems This high level of pollution of the food and water sources also reflected in the poor health of local residents. The prevalence of cancer and hepatitis C was found to be very high in these villages. Spontaneous abortions and premature births were also found to be significantly higher. Stillbirths were about five times higher as compared with figures from other South Asian countries. A large proportion of children in the area suffer from delayed developmental milestones, exhibit a blue line in their gums, have mottled teeth and presented with gastrointestinal morbidities. Although no direct association was established in the study, the results showed that heavy metal and pesticide exposure may be potential risk factors for adverse reproductive and child health outcomes.

While pesticides have been useful in increasing agricultural productivity, their hazardous impacts on the health and environment are becoming more and more obvious. Evidence from India shows that lack of information, awareness and training among farmers on safe use of pesticides , lack of effective rules and regulations and bans on dangerous pesticides, direct delivery of unapproved pesticides to farmers from the private markets further increases the risk of pesticides for the environment and health.

Better pesticide management laws and their strict implementation and encouraging use of alternative practices like organic farming and use of bio pesticides like neem and plant-based formulations like Repline, Neemark and Indene can go a long way in preventing the negative impacts of pesticides on the health and environment.

The paper can be accessed here

Pollution in Punjab

Published: Saturday 15 August 1992

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• Water Pollution Essay

Water Pollution and How it Harms the Environment

Global pollution is a problem. Pollution can spread to remote areas where no one lives, despite the fact that urban areas are typically more polluted than the countryside. Air pollution, water pollution, and land pollution are the three main categories of pollution. Some contaminated water has a terrible smell, a muddy appearance, and floating trash. Some contaminated water appears clean, but it contains dangerous substances that you can't see or smell.

Together, developed and developing nations must fight to conserve the environment for present and future generations. Today, we dig deep into the subject of Water Pollution. This article can be an introduction to water pollution for kids as we will read many things such as the causes of water pollution further in the article.

What is Water Pollution?

Water contamination occurs when pollutants pollute water sources and make the water unfit for use in drinking, cooking, cleaning, swimming, and other activities. Chemicals, garbage, bacteria, and parasites are examples of pollutants. Water is eventually damaged by all types of pollution. Lakes and oceans become contaminated by air pollution. Land contamination may contaminate an underground stream, a river, and ultimately the ocean. As a result, trash thrown on an empty lot can eventually contaminate a water source.

(Image will be uploaded soon)

Water Pollution

The water cycle, called  the hydrological cycle, involves the following steps:

Evaporation- Because of the sun's heat, the water bodies such as oceans, lakes, seas etc., get heated up, and water evaporates in the air, forming water vapours.

Transpiration- Like evaporation, the plants and trees also lose water from them which goes to the atmosphere. This process is called transpiration.

Condensation- As the water evaporates, it starts to become cool because of the cold atmosphere in the air and because of this cooling down of water leads to the formation of clouds.

Precipitation- Because of the high movements of the wings, the clouds start to collide and then fall back to the earth’s surface in the form of rain. Sometimes they also fall back in the form of snow, hail, sleet etc., depending upon the temperature.

Runoff or Infiltration- After precipitation, the water either flows to the water bodies called runoff or is absorbed into the soil, called infiltration.

Causes of Water Pollution

There are many reasons for water pollution. Some of the reasons are directly affected by water pollution and some indirectly. Many factories and industries are dumping contaminated water, chemicals, and heavy metals into major waterways as a result of direct water pollution. 

One more reason for water pollution is the use of modern techniques in farms. Farmers apply nutrients such as phosphorus, nitrogen, and potassium in the form of chemical fertilizers, manure, and sludge. It causes farms to discharge large quantities of agrochemicals, organic matter, and saline drainage into water bodies. It indirectly affects water pollution.

Pollutants can be of various types such as organic, inorganic, radioactive etc. Water pollutants are discharged either from one point from pipes, channels etc., which are called point sources or from various other sources. They can be agricultural areas, industries etc., called dispersed sources. 

Some of the major forms of water pollutants are as follows:

Sewage- Domestic sewage from homes contains various forms of pathogens that threaten the human body. Sewage treatment reduces the risk of pathogens, but this risk is not eliminated. 

Domestic sewage majorly contains nitrates and phosphates, and excess of these substances allows the algae to grow on the surface of water bodies. Due to this, the clean water bodies become nutrient-rich water body and then slowly, the oxygen level of water bodies reduces. This is called eutrophication or cultural eutrophication (if this step rapidly takes place by the activities of humans). This leads to the early death of water bodies.

Toxins- The industrial or factory wastes that are not disposed of properly and contain chemicals such as mercury and lead are disposed of in the water bodies making the bodies toxic, radioactive, explosive and cancerous.

Sediments- Sediments are the result of soil erosion that is formed in the water bodies. These sediments imbalances the water bodies ecologically. They also interfere in the reproductive cycle of various aquatic animals living in the water.

Thermal pollution- Water bodies get polluted because of heat, and excess heat reduces the oxygen level of the water bodies. Some of the species of fish cannot live in such water bodies with very low oxygen levels. The disposal of cold waters from the power plants leads to increased thermal pollution in the water bodies.

Petroleum oil pollution- The runoff of oil into the water bodies, either accidentally as happened in 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico, or intentionally, leads to an increase in water pollution.

As water is an important element of human health, polluted water directly affects the human body. Water pollution causes various diseases like typhoid, cholera, hepatitis, cancer, etc. Water pollution damages the plants and aquatic animals present in the river by reducing the oxygen content from the water. Polluted water washes the essential nutrients which plants need out of the soil and also leaves large amounts of aluminium in the soil, which can be harmful to plants. 

Wastewater and sewage are a by-product of daily life and thus produced by each household through various activities like using soap, toilets, and detergents. Such sewage contains chemicals and bacteria which are harmful to human life and environmental health. Water pollution also leads to an imbalance in our ecosystem. Lastly, it also affects the food chain as the toxins in the water bodies are consumed by aquatic animals like fish, crabs etc., and then humans consume those animals forming turmoil. 

Sometimes our tradition also becomes a cause for water pollution. Some people throw the statues of deities, flowers, pots, and ashes in rivers.

There are various standards to define water quality standards. Water meant for swimming may not be clean enough for drinking, or water meant for bathing may not be good for cooking. Therefore, there are different water standards for defined:

Stream standards- Standards that define streams, lakes, oceans or seas based on their maximum use.

Effluent standards- Define the specific standards for the level of contaminants or effluents allowed during the final discharge of those into the water bodies.

Drinking water standards- Define the level of contamination allowed in water that will be supplied for drinking or cooking in the domestic areas.

Different countries regulate their water quality standards through different acts and amendments.

While many of the solutions for water pollution need to be applied on a broader macro-level for that individual, companies, and communities can have a significant and responsible impact on the water quality. Companies, factories have to dispose of leftover chemicals and containers properly as per the product instructions. Farmers also have to reduce the use of nitrates and phosphates from fertilizers, pesticides, and contamination of groundwater. 

The Swachh Bharat Mission of the government had led to reduced groundwater contamination. Under the Namami Ganga program, the government has initiated several major projects to clean Ganga. Along with all these steps, conservation of water is the very basic and important step towards water conservation and should be followed globally, treatment of sewage before their disposal in the water bodies and using environment-friendly products that do not form toxins when dissolved in water. These are some small steps that have to be taken into consideration by every human being.

As we all know, “Water is life’s matter and matrix, mother and medium. There is no life without water.” We have to save water. We must keep the water clean. If everyone will follow their responsibility against water to protect it from getting polluted then it will be easy to get clean and healthy drinking water. Clean water is a must for us and our kids' present, future, and healthy environment. 

We cannot just live with contaminated waters filled with toxins and no oxygen. We cannot see our wildlife being destroyed and therefore, immediate steps have to be taken by groups of people to first clean the already contaminated water bodies and then keep a check on all the surrounding water bodies. Small steps by every individual can make a huge difference in controlling water pollution.

Water Pollution Prevention

Conserve Water 

Our first priority should be to conserve water. Water wasting could be a big problem for the entire world, but we are just now becoming aware of it.

Sewage Treatment 

Cleaning up waste materials before disposing of them in waterways reduces pollution on a large scale. By lowering its dangerous elements, this wastewater will be used in other sectors or in agriculture.

Usage of Eco-Friendly Materials

We will reduce the amount of pollution produced by choosing soluble products that do not alter to become pollutants.

Water contamination is the discharge of pollutants into the water body, where they dissolve, are suspended, are deposited on the bottom, and collect to the point where they hinder the aquatic ecosystem's ability to function. Water contamination is brought on by toxic compounds that easily dissolve and combine with it and come from factories, municipalities, and farms.

Healthy ecosystems depend on a complex network of organisms, including animals, plants, bacteria, and fungi, all of which interact with one another either directly or indirectly. In this article, we read about water pollution, its causes and prevention. With this, we have come to the end of our article, in case of any other doubts, feel free to ask in the comments.

FAQs on Water Pollution Essay

1. What are the effects of water pollution?

Water pollution has a great impact on human health. Water pollution kills. It's been recorded that in 2015 nearly 1.8 million people died because of water pollution. People with low income are exposed to contaminated water coming out from the industries. Presence of disease causing pathogens in drinking water are the major cause of illness which includes cholera, giardia, and typhoid. Water pollution not only affects human health but also our environment by causing algal bloom in a lake or marine environment. Water pollution also causes eutrophication which suffocates plants and animals and thus causes dead zones. Chemicals and heavy metals from industrial and municipal wastewater contaminate waterways and harm aquatic life.

2. What are the causes of Water pollution?

Water being a universal solvent is vulnerable to pollution as it dissolves more substances than any other liquid on earth. Therefore, water is easily polluted. Toxic substances from farms, towns, and factories readily dissolve into water and mix with it, resulting in water pollution. Agricultural pollution is one of the major causes of contamination in rivers and streams. The use of excessive fertilizers, pesticides, and animal waste from farms and livestock operations lets the rain wash the nutrients and pathogens—such as bacteria and viruses—into our waterways. The other major cause of water pollution is used water,  termed as wastewater which comes from our sinks, showers, toilets and from commercial, industrial, and agricultural activities. It's been reported that the world's 80% wastewater flows back into the environment without being treated or reused. Oil spills and radioactive waste also cause water pollution to a great extent.

3. How to prevent water pollution?

It is important to keep our water bodies clean so we can take the following preventive measures to prevent from water pollution:

Chemicals like bleach, paint, paint thinner, ammonia, and many chemicals are becoming a serious problem. Dumping toxic chemicals down the drain or flushing them down the toilet can cause water pollution. Thus, proper disposal is important. Also, household chemicals need to be recycled.

Avoid buying products that contain persistent and dangerous chemicals. Buying non-toxic cleaners and biodegradable cleaners and pesticides cut down on water pollution.

Prevent from pouring fats or greasy substances down the drain as it might clog the drain resulting in the dumping of waste into yards or basement which can contaminate the local water bodies.

4. What is the role of medical institutions in polluting the water?

Pharmaceutical pollution affects aquatic life and thus there is a need to take preventive measures. Consumers are responsible for winding up pharmaceutical and personal care products in lakes, rivers, and streams. There's a lot of unused and expired medication that can potentially get into the water if not disposed of properly.

5. What are the major kinds of pollution?

The three main types of pollution are air pollution, water pollution or soil pollution. Some artificial pollution is also there, such as noise pollution. Factors leading to such pollution include:

Air Pollution: Industrial emissions, fires, traffic and transportation, burning of chemical waste, etc.

Water Pollution: No proper sewage disposal, pesticides in farms leaking into water bodies, industrial waste dumped into water bodies, etc.

Soil Pollution:  Oil spills, acid rains, irresponsible disposal of trash, chemical waste, etc.

Noise Pollution: Honking of horns, construction activities, loud parties, etc.

Essay on Water Pollution for Students and Children

500+ words essay on water pollution.

Water is the most important resource for survival on a planet. It is the essence of life on our planet – Earth. Yet if you ever see a river or lake around your city, it would be evident to you that we are facing a very serious problem of Water pollution. Let us educate ourselves about water and water pollution . Two-thirds of the Earth’s surface is covered by water , seventy-six perfect of your body is made up of water.

Water and Water Cycle

As you already know water is everywhere and all around.  However, we have a fixed amount of water on earth. It just changes its states and goes through a cyclic order, known as the Water Cycle. The water cycle is a natural process that is continuous in nature. It is the pattern in which the water from oceans, seas, lakes, etc gets evaporated and turns to vapor. After which it goes through the process of condensation, and finally precipitation when it falls back to earth as rain or snow.

What is Water Pollution?

Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies (like oceans, seas, lakes, rivers, aquifers, and groundwater) usually caused due to human activities. Water pollution is any change, minor or major in the physical, chemical or biological properties of water that eventually leads to a detrimental consequence of any living organism . Drinking water, called Potable Water, is considered safe enough for human and animal consumption.

Sources of Water Pollution

• Domestic Waste
• Industrial effluents
• Insecticides and pesticides
• Detergents and Fertilizers

Some of the water pollutions are caused by direct Sources, such as factories, waste management facilities, refineries, etc, that directly releases waste and dangerous by-products into the nearest water source without treating them. Indirect sources include pollutants that infuse in the water bodies via groundwater or soil or via the atmosphere through acidic rain.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Effects of Pollution of Water

The effects of Water Pollution are:

Diseases: In humans, drinking or consuming polluted water in any way has many disastrous effects on our health. It causes typhoid, cholera, hepatitis and various other diseases.

Eradication of Ecosystem: Ecosystem is extremely dynamic and responds to even small changes in the environment. Increasing water pollution can cause an entire ecosystem to collapse if left unchecked.

Eutrophication: Chemicals accumulation and infusion in a water body, encourages the growth of algae. The algae form a layer on top of the pond or lake. Bacteria feed on this algae and this event decreases the amount of oxygen in the water body, severely affecting the aquatic life there

Effects of the food chain: Turmoil in food chain happens when the aquatic animals (fish, prawns, seahorse, etc) consume the toxins and pollutants in the water,  and then the humans consume them.

Prevention of Water Pollution

The best way to prevent large-scale water pollution is to try and reduce its harmful effects. There are numerous small changes we can make to protect ourselves from a future where water is scarce.

Conserve Water: Conserving water should be our first aim. Water wastage is a major problem globally and we are only now waking up to the issue. Simple small changes made domestically will make a huge difference.

Treatment of sewage: Treating waste products before disposing of it in water bodies helps reduce water pollution on a large scale. Agriculture or other industries can reuse this wastewater by reducing its toxic contents.

Use of environment-friendly products: By using soluble products that do not go on to become pollutants, we can reduce the amount of water pollution caused by a household.

Life is ultimately about choices and so is water pollution. We cannot live with sewage-strewn beaches, contaminated rivers , and fish that are poisonous to drink and eat. To avoid these scenarios,  we can work together to keep the environment clean so the water bodies, plants, animals, and people who depend on it remain healthy. We can take individual or teamed action to help reduce water pollution. As an example, by using environmentally friendly detergents, not pouring oil down the drains, reducing the usage of pesticides, and so on. We can take community action too to keep our rivers and seas cleaner. And we can take action as countries and continents to pass laws against water pollution. Working together, we can make water pollution less of a problem—and the world a better place.

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