Untreated water issue needs a sustainable solution, says Justice (R) Muslim

Issue discussed at MUET seminar on Industrial Wastewater Management

All the industrial and manufacturing units as well as factories, in accordance with the rules and regulations, are obligated to have their own treatment plants to treat waste discharge.

This was stated by Justice (retd) Amir Hani Muslim, the head of the Supreme Court-mandated water commission, while addressing a seminar on Industrial Wastewater Management on Saturday.

The seminar was organised by Mehran University of Engineering and Technology's (MUET) US-Pakistan Center for Advanced Studies in Water (USPCAS-W), in collaboration with the University of Utah in United States of America and supported by US Agency for International Development (USAID).



Speaking as a chief guest, Justice (retd) Muslim shared his views regarding the prevalent situation in Sindh and said that the waste has to be treated at the industrial units primarily.

He pointed out that prior to the formation of the water commission, there were no treatment plants installed at any of the 4,000 industrial units in the province and 450 million gallons per day (MGD) untreated water was being drained into the sea directly.

He said that it was the water commission that compelled the provincial and federal authorities to install treatment plants. He further said that now, on the orders of the commission, around 70 to 80MGD water were being treated. By June 2019, another treatment plant with a capacity of treating 100MGD water would start functioning, he added.

Justice (retd) Muslim said that Karachi Port Trust (KPT) had also committed itself to install a treatment plant with a capacity to treat 100MGD water. He added that another plant would start operating in two years time.

He said that all the industrial units had been directed to install treatment plants without further ado and added that it was imperative that they be made accountable. He said that industrial pollution was hazardous for the people and for the marine life and as such untreated water should not only be monitored affectively, but there was a need to find a sustainable solution to this problem.

He said that the water crises need to be resolved on a priority basis and as such the commission has tried its level best.

He also emphasised the need for better solid waste management that also contributes towards the untreated wastewater drained into the sea. He said that mismanagement was one of the major causes of water crises in Sindh.

Addressing the seminar, USAID Acting Mission Director for Sindh and Balochistan, Mark Sorensen, said that USAID was supportive of the research and academic activities in Pakistan that focus on ways to overcome problems in the water, energy and agriculture sectors.



He was hopeful that the seminar would pave way for the networking, collaborative efforts and teamwork to improve the management of wastewater treatment in the province. He further said that USAID funded MUET water centre was committed to produce qualified graduates who would ultimately engage themselves to resolve the water crises in the country.

MUET Vice Chancellor Dr Mohammad Aslam Uqaili said with the qualified professionals specialising in the field, reliable and tested data, one can resolve any issue amicably.

Sindh Minister for Climate Change, Coastal Development, Information, Science and Technology Nawabzada Muhammad Taimur Talpur said that prior to the formation of the water commission, Sindh Environmental Protection Agency was working without any direction but under the guidance of Justice (retd) Muslim it had improved.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 16^th, 2018.