Sheikhupura industrial waste cause mass death of fishes in canal

SHEIKHUPURA: The discharge of factories industrial waste in Q.B. Link Canal proves lethal for the fishes which are dying in large number, local sources said.

The discharge of untreated industrial waste has turned rivers and canals in Punjab into a dumping pit, causing serious health and environmental hazards.

The fishes caught from the canal are unhygienic and unable to be consumed for food.

Sheikhupura is one of the major industrial centres in Punjab with hundreds of factories include textile, chemical, food processing, pulp and paper, poultry, dairy, plastic, paint, pesticides, leather, tanneries and pharmaceuticals, creating environmental and water pollution.

The industrial waste from the factories at Farooqabad and surrounding areas being disposed off in the canal without treatment.

The poisoned fish caught from the polluted water of the canal being sold in local markets and consumed by people cause health problems for people.

Besides, untreated contaminated water for agricultural purposes is causing people to get waterborne diseases that is putting huge burden on healthcare infrastructure.

The entire municipal waste from the city is collected through a network of drains and discharged into the rivers and canals without any treatment, increasing pollution level with every passing day.

According to various studies, high metal contents and arsenic level has been found in the pumped groundwater that coupled with contamination of sewerage has put the health of the masses at a greater risk of getting diseases.