Health hazard: Use of sewage for vegetable cultivation causing diseases

Wastewater contains chemicals which make it more dangerous.

SARGODHA: The use of sewerage water in cultivation of vegetables around the city is causing a number of diseases, including hepatitis and cancer among the people.

A report issued by Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) stated use of sewerage water for cultivation of vegetables as well as for wheat and other crops was hazardous to human health. It added sewerage water was not only hazardous, but discharge of acids and chemicals from factories make it more dangerous.

Wastewater should not be used for vegetable production because these chemicals are absorbed by vegetables along with water and this affects health, the report stated.

The vegetables produced in such fields were being sold in the local vegetables markets on a daily basis but the people are unaware of its hazardous effects on human body.

The main reason for using sewerage water is unavailability of clean water while various chemicals and acids present in it provide extra energy to the vegetables and plants. Resultantly, the vegetables grow faster as compared to those grown with water from tube wells.

The farmers also prefer to use this water because wastewater is extremely valuable source for them as pumping cost from sewage nallah or drains is cheaper than a borehole, which makes the practice more accessible to farmers with fewer financial resources.

Meanwhile, health experts said wastewater should be used in agriculture after treatment. They pointed out use of direct wastewater poses a greater risk to agricultural sustainability and public health as compared to indirect wastewater.

They maintained only one to two percent cities have waste water treatment facilities in the country. The number of wastewater treatment plants needs to be increased to use wastewater as an alternative source in irrigation and for domestic purposes too, the experts said.

A spokesperson for tehsil municipal administration said, “Various notices have been served to those involved in the business while a comprehensive strategy has also been devolved to deal with these elements.” He added, “Water treatment plants are also being established which would make sewerage water suitable for cultivation.”

Published in The Express Tribune, May 8^th, 2017.