Indus turns sewer: Hyderabad's untreated wastewater crisis deepens

Untreated sewage from several parts of Hyderabad continues to be discharged directly into the Indus River, raising serious concerns over public health, environmental damage and contamination of a vital water source for downstream communities.

Despite the presence of three sewage treatment plants around the city, large quantities of wastewater are being released into the river without any chemical or biological treatment, according to officials and environmental experts. Two of these treatment plants are located near the banks of the Indus.

The continuous discharge is affecting areas including Latifabad Unit 4, Unit 10, Kohsar and surrounding villages that rely on the river for water. Residents in Tando Mohammad Khan, Sujawal and Thatta districts are also facing increased risks as downstream areas already suffer from shortages of clean water.

A project launched in 2009 during the district government of former city nazim Kanwar Naveed Jameel aimed to protect the Indus and its banks from sewage pollution through four major treatment plants - Eastern, Western, Northern and Southern.

The Western Treatment Plant near Seharish Nagar/Qadir Nagar and the Southern Treatment Plant near Latifabad Unit 11 were also designed to treat wastewater before releasing it into the river or using it for agricultural purposes. However, the facilities have failed to achieve their intended purpose.

The Northern Treatment Plant remains largely unused because sewerage connections from most city areas were never linked to it. Only sewage from nearby settlements reaches the facility, while wastewater from much of the city continues to be discharged into canals and the river.

Environmental experts and legal specialists stressed that Hyderabad Water and Sewerage Corporation must ensure that all sewage is scientifically treated before disposal and warned that continued dumping of untreated wastewater into the Indus poses a serious threat.