Pakistan, despite contributing very little to global emissions, is counted as among the most climate-vulnerable countries impacted by climate change. Earth protects us, and in return, we continue depriving it of its glory because of our industrial activities and our over-reliance on non-renewable fuels. In this connection, the insights of an environmental expert regarding restricting the pollution of underground water and controlling the industrial and vehicular emissions in Pakistan are narrated as follows:
“As much as 4.36 billion cubic meters of untreated water is produced in Pakistan every year. This amount of water we are throwing into our seas and rivers without treating it. This is creating many problems for human health and agriculture.
The water after domestic use and the wastewater, which is generated from electroplating, is not treated. Such waters contain arsenic, lead, chromium, mercury, and cadmium. Such metals are highly dangerous to our health. Our agriculture is getting affected because of the untreated water, as in many areas, this water is being used for growing crops. The pesticides and fertilizers in the crops should be used in accurate quantities and not in excessive amounts. Our dump sites and landfill sites need precautionary measures.
What are the factors which are polluting the underground water? The waste water by tanneries and industries add to water pollution. In the tanneries and vulcanizing industries chromium is used. This contaminated water gets mixed in the canals. Apart from that, there are dump sites and landfill sites in Pakistan. Mostly are without lining and safety mechanisms. These contain heavy metals. All such metals are highly dangerous for human health and crops. It is reported that in Multan the domestic untreated water is being used at some places for growing fodder. It is quite obvious that when the animals use this, then the meat and milk will get contaminated.
Similarly, the crops that are fed with such water will also contain a great proportion of heavy metals and other chemicals. In the stables, the dung also contaminates the underground water. Cow farms or milk farms must have treatment plants so that the untreated water may not get mixed in the underground water.
Out of 4.36 billion cubic meters of wastewater per year only a very small fraction of it is treated. Reports indicate that a substantial proportion of surface and ground water sources in Pakistan is contaminated beyond safe limits. We will have to make waste water treatment plants on priority. In Sialkot tanning and leather sectors contribute enormously to exports. If we are earning this much, then we should adopt the methods that ensure that water remains free of contamination.
Every industry should install wastewater treatment plants. Chemicals used by them should be earth-friendly. Most of the bigger textile mills have abided by the regulations because countries where they export their products, restrictions are imposed that they should use organic products and have their wastewater treatment plants. This practice needs to be enforced rigorously in all the industrial units, whether big or small.
The questions of what smog is, what we are doing to curtail it, and what our responsibility is are important. It is a combination of smoke and fog primarily caused by particulate emissions from vehicles, agriculture, and industries. It is so heavy that in the atmosphere it stays like an inverted dome. Until it rains or it is a sunny day, it remains persistent in our atmosphere.
The disadvantages are that there are lung diseases, especially for asthma patients, which can be highly dangerous. Then our business activities for hours or for days are suspended. In particulate emissions, the smoke from vehicles contains cancer-causing elements. Even if the tuning is done and the smoke is not black, if the combination is not right, then the smoke will be more fatal as it will contain the poisonous gas, i.e., carbon monoxide. If the catalytic converter is not working properly in the vehicles, then they emit even more dangerous smoke, especially when the vehicles are not operational for longer periods.
The vehicles are emitting around 40 percent smoke in Pakistan, according to some estimates. Therefore, all the vehicles and motorbikes should be tested. The air quality department or the transport department may authorize good workshops. These workshops have the machines, and if the air quality management system matches the parameters, then they may issue the certificate. It may be valid for one year or more. It is not applied to the new cars. But sometimes people take out the catalytic converters, assuming that they consume more fuel. The fact remains that in this case, the health is compromised, hence these catalytic converters should not be taken out.
We should either use Euro V or Euro VI fuel. Refineries should be tasked to produce this more. The Euro II fuel we use currently, there is a great difference in the emissions from this and from Euro V. The Euro II fuel produces significantly higher emissions. If the crop residues are burnt then the disadvantage is that the good bacteria in the land die, and more fertilizer needs to be added afterwards.
There is a simple way to mitigate the air pollution caused by the burning of crop residues. Earlier when the crop used to be harvested then the cover crop was sown with the next crop directly into the field without removing the residues. It was called non-tillage seeding, also called green seeding, for sowing cover crops. This allows the remaining stumps to be ploughed. This creates an organic fertilizer within the soil, which is a very useful ingredient. This method reduces smog pollution in agriculture.
Another factor responsible for air pollution is industrial emissions, which account for around 25 percent of smog generation. Not all industries have the pollution control equipment installed. Even where they are installed then the irresponsible operators sometimes switch them off, and thus their effectiveness remains a question. Industries having a Stack must have an electrostatic precipitator. The dust that is collected because of this process requires safe handling. In many cases, the pollutants and chemicals are washed with water, and that water is thrown down the drain. It must be understood that such water spoils the underground water and makes it contaminated. This, in turn, spoils the land. When there is evaporation, then it also contributes to smog”.
Saving the sanctity of the earth and improving the environment is a moral imperative with a compelling blend, and perhaps no gift can be more important for our coming generations than our efforts to control pollution for safeguarding the future so that we may be remembered in good words and leave a lasting legacy.
