Water Pollution: Pond to be drained

BAHAWALPUR: The Rahim Yar Khan tehsil municipal administration has ordered its sanitation staff in Taranda Sawa-i-Khan union council to drain a pond by Monday. TMO Chaudhry Arshad Waraich said the officials had been told to use suction pumps. He said he had sought a progress report by Monday. The order followed a warning by the Health Department about possible contamination of drinking water on account of the pond in Chak 78P. Dengue Control Programme in charge Abdul Salam told The Express Tribune that he feared that water from the pond was contaminating underground water. Salam said the town administration had been told that its failure to act promptly could lead to an outbreak of water-bourne diseases. He said the visit was arranged after they received complaints from residents  of the area. Zahid Iqbal and Faqeer Muhammad, residents of the area, said water from the pond had flooded their houses. They appealed to the chief minister and the district coordination officer to take notice of the situation.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 22^nd, 2012.