MINGORA: Water is life but once it is polluted, it is injurious to health.

Drinking water supplies to Swat district have long been contaminated but the relevant authorities continue to be indifferent to it to the misery of local population.

Until 1980 decade, Mingora stream was a source of entertainment for both local residents and visitors as many picnic spots were all around pulling large crowds, especially during the summer season.

However, things have changed a lot as not only the stream is polluted spreading waterborne diseases like acute gastroenteritis, hepatitis and dysentery but it is also silted up causing it to swell during rainy season.

Executive director of Environmental Protection Society, Swat Akbar Zeb Khan has told Dawn that natural resources of Mingora city, especially freshwater, have been depleting since 1969.

Polluted watercourse spreading waterborne diseases

“At that time, population of the city was less than 19,000 and systems were in place but local population has increased manifold but the civic facilities have seen no or very little improvement,” he said.

A study conducted by the EPS in 1998 on rehabilitation of Mingora stream revealed around 55 tons human excreta from local residential areas was disposed of into Mingora stream daily, while 52.6 tons solid waste generated in the city got its way to Mingora stream directly or through the open drains running along the streets.

According to Akbar Zeb, currently, around 70 tons human excreta from residential areas and around 50-60 tons waste from the city is being thrown into the stream daily.

Environmentalists say the quantity of water in the stream is largely reduced due to excessive deforestation in Illum, Marguzar and Jambel valleys of Swat district, where the two branches of Mingora stream generate.

“Currently, the stream is a place for stagnant blackish water, where plenty of solid waste is providing better breeding environment for mosquitoes and other harmful bacteria, which not only pollute the surface water of the stream but also contaminate groundwater in Mingora city,” the EPS chief said.

He said in the past, the water of Mingora stream was clean and was used for irrigation and domestic purposes.

Akbar Zeb said the stream had many picnic spots all around, where local residents and tourists from all over the country used to come for recreation, swimming and fishing but at the moment, the stream was looking like a dumping ground to the disappointment of visitors.

Shahab Khan, resident of Tahirabad Mingora, recalled his childhood and said he and his friends were used to come to Mingora stream for swimming.

“It was the time between 1984 and 1988 when water of the stream was clean and people were preferred to come here to spend their free time with a lot of enjoyment in shape of swimming or hunting fishes,” he said.

Similarly, during a survey conducted by a nongovernmental organisation regarding direct disposal of human excreta into open drains, it was observed that in 40 percent areas of municipal limits, 1,107 residential units directly disposed of waste into drains.

Apart from residential areas of Mingora city, some small industries near the Swat River, including stone crushing units, and Mingora stream are contributing to the water pollution in the district. The administration’s silence on disposal of waste and human excreta into Mingora stream leads to create health problems and natural disaster as when Marghazar valley, Jambel and other surrounding areas of the city receive torrential rains, it floods Mingora stream mostly affecting local population.

On the healthcare front, the polluted Mingora stream is considered a major reason behind high incidence of waterborne diseases in the area.

According to Dr Wasil Khan, a medical specialist at the Saidu Sharif Group of Teaching Hospital, use of contaminated water causes mostly acute gastroenteritis, hepatitis-A, hepatitis-B and dysentery.

The World Health Organisation says waterborne diseases account for an estimated 4.1 percent of the total disability-adjusted-life-year global burden of diseases, and cause around 1.8 million human deaths annually across the world.

Despite these alarming conditions, the local administration has yet to take corrective measures, specially disposal of waste at dumping grounds in Dangram area of Swat district.

The administration claims is making every effort to remove encroachments from both sides of Mingora stream, a major factor behind the flooding of Mingora city during the rainy season.

When contacted, assistant commissioner of Swat Ashaq Khan said around 10 days ago, they’d identified a dumping ground in Dangram, deployed personnel of the special police force there, and asked the TMA Mingora to use the ground for disposing of waste.

He said the local administration won’t spare those either encroaching on the land near Mingora stream or disposing of human excreta into the stream.

“Crackdown on encroachments on both sides of Mingora stream and the Swat River is already underway and will continue until the targets are achieved,” he said.

Published in Dawn, June 28th, 2014