The looming water crisis

Articles

The looming water crisis
(Mirza M. Sajid)

The water crisis in certain parts of the country is deteriorating into a critical situation. Pakistan, by the grace of Allah is blessed with countless natural resources, but lacks the planning to utilise them efficiently. This proper planning is vital in view of the country's ever-changing geographical situation, and increasing population. It is unfortunate that the acuteness of this problem has not yet been felt in its true intensity, and that the requisite
planning was not done much earlier. Although drinking water is available to most of the urban population during all
seasons, there still exists a scarcity of potable water in most remote areas and desert lands throughout the year.
The total area of Pakistan is 803,940 square kilometres of which land area is 778,720 sq. km, including 200,000
sq. km irrigated land and 1046 sq. km coastal area. Inexpensive drinking water can be obtained in coastal areas
by installing low cost water treatment plants that using solar energy for the desalination of sea water. The cost of
installing such plants is well justified by the decrease in operating costs due to the avoidance of conventional
alternate fuels. Some Middle Eastern countries, such as Saudi Arabia, have started to reap the benefits from this
abundant natural source of energy. If solar power is made available for the desalination of sea water, the shortage
of drinking water, even in far-flung areas of the country (such as barren lands in Baluchistan, and desert areas in
Sindh, e.g. Thar) may be eliminated. This can be accomplished by pumping sea water to these remote areas, and
treating it to convert it into drinking water. Alternately, sea water can be desalinated near coastal areas, and
untreated water thrown back into the sea or the salt zone, and the treated water supplied to small towns and
villages by pumping stations. This process not only ensures the availability of abundant drinking water, but also
provides employment to the locals. The salt obtained from this process can be used in commercial and industrial
applications. Pakistan already owns a small experimental desalination plant utilising solar energy, near Gwader,
which is operated and maintained by the Pakistan Navy. This plant was designed and manufactured by the
Pakistan Council of Industrial & Scientific Research (PCSIR). The use of treated sea water may, in the future, save
many lives in times of drought.

URBAN AREAS

The shortage of drinking water is not as severe in urban areas as in remote areas, except in the summer or winter
seasons. The generous use of drinking water and leakage in pipelines and taps are among the major causes of
water wastage, amounting to millions of gallons per day. Flushes in toilets and the use of drinking water in
gardening also add to the wastage of drinking water. One flush requires about three to four gallons of water.
Brackish water or treated sewage water ought to be used as substitutes for potable water for these purposes.
One of the most serious issues related to the water shortage in the country is the mishandling of waste water from raw sewage, industrial waste, and agriculture runoffs, which increase the contamination in natural sources of fresh water. Sewerage water, therefore, ought not be allowed to fall into the sea or rivers, but should be treated properly, and stored outside the cities or villages to be supplied back to the residents for use. The recycling of sewerage water and its storage outside the cities will raise ground water levels, and the treated solid waste is a natural fertilizer. While recycling sewer water and its accumulation may create water-logging in some areas and increase the salinity of the soil, in most cases (in Baluchistan and Thar, for example) it will raise the water level and result in fertile soil. Water-logging and salinity may be controlled through the use of modern scientific technology.

Since Karachi is Pakistan's largest city, its requirements are entirely different from those of the rest of the country.

Karachi needs at least 20 million litres of water per day for drinking only, out of the city's total requirement of 600
MGD. The main water resources for the city are the Kinjeer Lake, where water comes from the Indus River, and
the Hub River where a dam has been built to capture rainwater. The condition of these water resources and the
sewage planning needs to be reviewed afresh to minimize the wastage of fresh drinking water. One of these
objects may be achieved by removing seaweed and other marine plants and mud from the Kinjeer Lake and the
Hub Dam. This will decrease unnecessary contamination, increase the water capacity, and maintain the depth of
the lake and dam.

It is even more important to take the sewerage water away from city limits in low-lying areas. An area with low
water levels and rocky planes, at least 40-60 miles away from Karachi, along the super highway would serve the
purpose. The accumulation of water in that area will serve to raise the water levels, and boost the local economy
by enabling the natives to cultivate more fresh produce, especially seasonal vegetables and fruits around the year, using recycled water. Treated organic waste from the sewerage water treatment plants may be used as natural fertilizers for local farms.

The use of the latest technology has allowed Middle Eastern countries to use micro and sprinkler irrigation systems, which are particularly beneficial to some seasonal crops and greenhouses. Israel, in particular, has pioneered the development of drip irrigation systems, and has improved this technique with sensors and computer
controls that respond to plant requirements rather than using a predetermined watering schedule. Drip irrigation,
however, is an expensive technology and is not suitable for some crops.

INDAH Water Konsortium (IWK), a Malaysian organization, has signed a RM 1.7 million joint-venture research
collaboration agreement with University Putra Malaysia (UPM) to conduct research and development (R&D) of the
waste water treatment industry. The five-year research collaboration of IWK with UPM will enable them to improve
treatment and management of sewerage sludge. This is a good opportunity for Pakistan and Malaysia to gain
mutual benefits by exchanging experiences and views regarding waste water issues. The research and
development being conducted in Malaysia can provide Pakistan with vital knowledge in seeking cost-effective
solutions.

In the State of Victoria, Australia, Barwon Water is a statutory authority responsible for water and sewage
management. Its service area covers 8,100 sq. km, and includes Geelong and the Bellarine Peninsula along the
coast to Apollo Bay, and rural areas including Colac. Barwon Water also manages 20 kilometres of the Barwon
River through urban Geelong. The Australian government feels that environment protection is of paramount
importance in the treatment of the region's sewerage. Coastal treatment facilities have been designed to protect
the region's beaches, which are some of the most popular holiday and recreational destinations in Australia.
Barwon Water operates nine sewerage treatment plants. Commissioned in 1995 at a cost of $6.3 million, this
land-based system treats sewage from the coastal townships of Aireys Inlet and Fairhaven. Land-based treatment
consists of two primary lagoons and a small maturation lagoon. Treated effluent is used to irrigate wood lots on
the site. On average, 270 kilolitres of sewage is received each day. Sludge eating bacteria are introduced to the
waste water, which then undergoes ultraviolet disinfection, producing a clear effluent, suitable for reuse or ocean
discharge. This, Barwon Water's largest treatment plant and the largest plant of its type in Australia, utilises the
Intermittently Decanted Extended Aeration (IDEA) activated sludge process to process, on average, 55 million
litres of sewerage per day into effluent suitable for ocean discharge or reuse.

The sewerage from the Bellarine Peninsula townships of Portarlington, St. Leonards and Indented Head is similarly
treated at a plant on 190 hectares southeast of Portarlington. The plant has four treatment lagoons, a pumping
station, and a fixed-sprinkler irrigation system. It treats 1.25 megalitres a day which is then used to irrigate more
than 100,000 trees on site. Another plant, established in 1981, is a lagoon-based system which treats 0.19
kilolitres a day. A series of treatment lagoons and an irrigation system form the basis of this facility. The plant is
on 40 hectares north of the township. About 12,000 trees are irrigated using the treated effluent.

Review Magazine of The Nation 9/7/00