Unsafe water exposes thousands at market

The aging water pipeline carries a variety of contaminants from the sewage

LAHORE:

The deepening health crisis in Punjab could soon have a brand new twist. The contaminated water supply line of the largest fruit and vegetable market in the province has emerged as the source of another health scare.

According to details available with The Express Tribune, the Ravi road fruit and vegetable market’s aging water line carries a variety of contaminants. The water supply, according to traders and vendors, is unfit for human consumption due to the contamination. “Sewage waste is leaking into the market’s water supply,” said one trader, who was speaking on the condition of anonymity.

Installed, half a century ago, the pipeline now carries water, dangerously polluted with toxic waste. Health experts believe people at the market face serious risks like cholera and typhoid from pathogens in the water supply. “It can cause several diseases, including hepatitis,” cautioned a health expert.

Country warned of serious water crisis

Punjab Aab-e-Pak Authority (PAPA) and the Water And Sanitation Agency (WASA), a governmental body responsible for maintenance of water supply, and sanitation refuse to take the blame. “The market committee is responsible for the maintenance, repair, and new pipelines,” claimed Zahid Aziz, who heads WASA. The market committee, Aziz said, had not issued funds for the replacement.

On the other hand, the market committee claims that the request for replacement of the worn-out water supply line, installed in the 1960s, is still waiting for approval by the district and assessment body. Members of the market body said pleas for the replacement of the pipeline appear to be falling on deaf ears.

The traders association said they sent several letters to the Buzdar administration, requesting the chief minister to look into the matter. “We have written to the chief minister and the governor, but no avail,” said Haji Ramzan, general secretary of the vegetable and fruit traders association in the province.

Karachi toils with water crisis amid lockdown​​​​​​​

The 53-year-old water pipeline, Ramzan said, is in terrible shape. During the last two years, he said, the traders in the market, had written several letters to the WASA managing director. Taking a potshot at the troubled provincial health department, Ramzan said: “The health department has not bothered testing the water samples. The contaminated water can infect thousands at the market.”

The market provides water to 40,000 individuals daily. Health experts warned against the consumption of contaminated water. “It could cause serious health issues that can potentially shape into another pandemic,” cautioned one expert.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 3^rd, 2020.