KASUR, Jan 25: Heavily polluted water containing arsenic and chromium is adversely affecting inhabitants of Kasur and adjoining areas. This was said by UDERC (Titec), Japan, executive director Dr M Atiqur Rehman while speaking at a seminar on “Arsenic in Pakistan drinking water, disaster management through civil society” organised by Civil Society Network (CSN) Kasur, at the district bar’s auditorium on Thursday in collaboration with Japanese research institutions.

The seminar was attended by Japanese delegation, headed by Dr Tatsuro Sakano, Dr David Blair from Bangladesh, LCWU’s faculty of natural sciences dean Prof Dr Kausar Jamal Cheema, district naib nazim Maqsood Sabir Ansari, president tanneries association Mian Ashfaq, DBA president Ch Munir Ahmed, lawyers and science students from local colleges.

Dr Atiq said samples were collected from various localities of Kasur for lab test. It was observed that more than 50 per cent samples contained arsenic above the safe level. He said arsenic being tasteless and odourless could not be judged in portable water and was causing adverse effects on central nervous system, gastrointestinal, respiratory tract, skin, muscular weakness, loss of appetite, nausea and blindness. “Loss of memory in school-going children is common,” he said.

Dr David Blair said according to an estimate about 40 per cent of the prevalent diseases were due to contaminated water and almost 250,000 children died every year. He said the condition would further deteriorate in the next five years in Pakistan if solid steps were not taken.

He urged the doctors in Kasur to diagnose diseases caused by polluted water. He said people should be educated through seminars, literature and awareness programmes at UC level.

Speaking on the occasion, Prof Dr Kausar Jamal Cheema of Lahore college for women university said six thesis had been written on arsenic in Kasur at the varsity which indicated its presence in portable water at an alarming level. The arsenic level was increasing tremendously in south Punjab, she said.

Dr Kausar said arsenic in Kasur was responsible for the increasing number of patients relating to skin, lungs, bladder, liver and kidney cancer.

Dr Tatsuro Sakano of Tokyo institute of technology, Japan urged upon the use of technology to avoid hazardous effects of arsenic on human health.

CSN president Raja Younas Kayani and DBA chief Chaudhry Munir Ahmed urged the government to take concrete steps to save the people from this `slow poisoning.’

SI ARRESTED: The anti-corruption establishment on Thursday arrested a sub-inspector on charges of embezzlement and abuse of power.