ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT issues have become vital not only globally, rather in-home situation, these are on priority due to environmental degradations in water sector. The integrated irrigation network of Indus Basin, a backbone of economy of Pakistan, is under serious threat of water logging, hydro-salinity, adverse effects of pollutions and contamination of surface and ground water.
Out of total agricultural production of Pakistan, 90% is from irrigated agriculture which mostly depends on the Indus Basin Irrigation System. Indus Basin Integrated Irrigation System directs 105 MAF of water to canals which is delivered to farms through a large network of distributary systems in 43 canal commands.Out of 80.40 Mha total land area of Pakistan, 32.0 Mha are suitable for agriculture and forestry.
While only 26.6 Mha, at present is cultivated land, out of which about 16.2 Mha is irrigated. Cultivable area commanded by canals is nearly 14.0 Mha.Practically, the entire irrigation system is unlined, resulting in system losses due to seepage in its delivery system and at farm level. The institutional capabilities to deal with emerging environmental degradations in water sector are either insufficient or not aware of the problem threatening not only the quality of water rather a serious threat to human health. Land and ground water salnization is one of the major desertification processes in Pakistan wherein about 6.3 Mha of land are affected.
About half of this lies in the canal command areas. Apart from a few localized areas, salt affected soils are confined to the Indus plain. Salt has always been part of the Pakistan environment. Secondary salinity (as a result of human activities) exists on the Indus plain is all related to the development of the modern irrigation system in Pakistan. Excessive seepage during delivery of canal water to the farms has resulted twin menace of water logging and salinity which are principle threat to environment and causing severe injury to national economy.
The emergence of problem is due to poor drainage, low delivery efficiency of the irrigation (35 to 40 percent from canal head to root zone) and inadequate drainage system. The semi-arid climatic conditions prevailing in Pakistan also lead to accumulation of salts in the root zone. Groundwater pumpage, which is unregulated, further aggravates the situation by mobilizing salts dissolved in the ground water aquifer.
Therefore, soil and hydro salinity are the principal threats to the sustainability of irrigated agriculture in Pakistan. About 44% of the gross command area (GCA) is waterlogged, with water table depth less than 10 ft (0-300 cm), of which 12% is severely waterlogged, with water table depth less than 5 ft (0-150 cm). Further about 25% of the surface soil is saline, of which 6% is moderately and 8% severely saline. None of the three major consuming sectors of water: agriculture, industry and household/ municipalities have proper wastewater disposal systems. As a result the effluent/ run off contaminate water bodies / reservoirs creating serious health and environmental problems.
Not only are the poor, even more vulnerable to their impacts, they also contribute heavily to water pollution.Water pollution poses an active threat to farming communities, as it affects both human health and biodiversity. Irrigation water is the main source of drinking water in many towns and villages, especially where the ground water is brackish. Further, local practices such as washing clothes in irrigation channels and livestock intrusions add to the problem. There is also an increasing trend for municipal bodies to contract out municipal waste water to farmers for vegetables cultivation. While such recycling is income generating, adverse health effects occur both directly, through ingestion of the produce and bore worms and indirectly, via seepage of such water into the groundwater table and runoff into the irrigation system.
Water pollution also adversely affects biodiversity, particularly aquatic life in extant wetlands.A survey conducted by the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) shows that tanneries located in Kasur and Sialkot were discharging effluents with chrome concentrations ranging between 18.20 – 22.20 mg/ liter against standards of 1mg/ liter prescribed in the National Environmental Quality Standards (NEQS). A loss of about 5000 tons/ year in fish catch has been recorded in the River Ravi. Water quality deterioration occurs at each stage of bacterial and organic liquid and solid wastes, toxic metals, acids and other less toxic but still contaminating substances from industrial discharges and chemical pollutants in the form of pesticide and fertilizer run-off from agricultural lands.
Ground water mining and lowering of water table are taking place in Irrigated areas of Indus Basin, Partially due to drought period, but largely due to development of private tube wells for irrigation purposes (more than 600,000 tube wells in Punjab during last few years), which has caused deterioration of ground water quality in sweet water areas by salt water intrusion. The use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides, and fungicides has increased tremendously over the years. A survey by the Public Health and Engineering Department (Punjab) found 72% of the samples collected from wells and tube-wells throughout Punjab were biologically and/ or chemically contaminated.
Surface water quality is significantly deteriorated by putting raw sewage and industrial toxic wastes and effluents into rivers, irrigation canals and drains.Corrosion in pipes during conveyance adds to the contamination. The problem is further exacerbated by seepage from contiguously laid sewerage pipes as a result of pressure fluctuations. In slums, poor localities and villages the standard water supply sources are community stands posts. A recent World Bank report demonstrates that when a tap or a well is shared with neighbors, the likelihood of child or infant mortality is much higher compared to access from a residential piped water system.
In urban areas, sewage water is used for irrigation. Adverse health impacts result when vegetables that are eaten raw, are watered with municipal discharges carrying toxic chemicals. The Indus Basin is underlain by an extensive and largely fresh groundwater aquifer covering approximately 16.2 million hectares. However despite the evidently ample supply hardly any of the drinking water is deemed acceptable by WHO standards. Environment Management has become an essential tool in most of the developing activities and programmes.
Not only in global context, rather in home, all major projects and programmes to be undertaken by private and public have to provide inbuilt environmental management plan and process for approval and implementation of said projects.Generally, the term “Development” has been understood as economic growth but it badly effects the environment, especially with fast growing urban concentrations and industries. Globally linkage between Development and Environment is well admitted and addressed in the term of “Sustainable Development”.
It refers to development seeking to satisfy the needs of the present generations while respecting the environment for the needs of future generations. So the “Sustainable Development” is a basic issue to maintain healthy environment in all sectors of developments, operations and activities. Public and stakeholders participation in all stages of planning and development of programmes and projects has been considered a basic tool to protect the environment and sustain them environmentally.
So, it is necessary to adopt participatory approaches for sustainable development, poverty alleviation, efficiency, equity and sustainability. Environment Assessment looks at the environmental impacts of a major project like; construction of dams, Irrigation and drainage work or highway etc. In Pakistan the Environmental Protection Act 1997, laid the ground work for initiating Environmental Assessment prior to major projects undertaking.
EIA assesses significant impacts that will arise from a proposed project and helps determine whether or not it should be implemented. It also facilitates acquisition of financial assistance, as well as decision making on the use of natural resources. EIA should essentially include, an Environmental Management process needs to be developed to mitigate negative impacts and proper monitoring thereof. Creation of awareness among public, stakeholders and community is necessary for ensuring that project activities are environmentally sustainable. Every project may require specific interventions to respond to its needs and problems, and to develop capacity to deal with them.
For irrigation and drainage Projects, awareness and capacity building is a basic requirement to address quality issues of water, equity in distribution of water, promoting water use efficiency, ground water management and implementation of biological stabilization measures, effects of pesticides and fertilizers on crop production and environment etc. Depletion of natural resources i.e. surface water, groundwater, agro-ecosystem, bio- diversity etc. due to either in planned utilization or bad management leading to wastages. For sustainability of natural resources, it is very important to improve the management system of natural resources and besides their conservation, and efficient uses, their replenishment, protection and regeneration aspect are paramount to be considered and put as a part of any development project or in operational activities of existing bodies and works.
For the last few decades, research activities all over the world are focusing on green technologies to tackle polluted water problems. Plants can help clean up many kinds of pollution, including metals, pesticides, explosives and oil. In Pakistan priority should be given to green technologies to handle environmental degradation processes as it takes advantage of natural plant processes and are aesthetically pleasing.
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