Pollution of Lahore canal water in the city premises

Water contamination is one of the major environmental pollution problems facing Pakistan because it has a direct impact on the health of human beings and crops. Lahore Canal water is being used both for irrigation and a source of ground water recharge. For the best use of this water, extent of pollution and its effect on soil hydraulic properties needs to be studied. For this purpose, water samples from twenty three sites and soil samples from three sites were collected along the Canal within the city limits of Lahore. The survey of the area from Jallo Park to Mall Road, show that all the abadies/colonies and industries situated on both sides of the canal dump their waste water and garbage in to canal. This result in increase of salinity as well as BOD and COD values which were found maximum at the locations of Herbuns Pura, Mughal Pura Dharam Pura, and Thoker Niaz Baig. (authors)