REPORTS BASED ON OPERATIONAL ESEARCH
	10:DUMPING OF THE EFFLUENT OF PUNJAB IN SINDH APRIL-2004

The quality of groundwater in the province of Sindh is mainly saline. There are very few pockets in Punjab where the quality of groundwater is saline. The commands of Punjnand Abbasia Canal and Fordwah Sadqia Canal, on the let bank of River Sutlej, are one of those pockets, which are underlain with saline water. In order to mitigate the effects of water logging & salinity, it was envisaged to lift the saline groundwater and dispose-off into evaporation ponds under the scheme of Salinity Control & Reclamation Project (SCARP-IV).
In this connection effluent of Punjab is being dumped into Ghotki District of Sindh province, which creates hazardous environmental condition and destroyed the thousands acars of fertile land. In this regard the Research and Development Department visited the affected areas in March 2004, and prepared detailed report on “Dumping of Effluent of Punjab in Sindh”.
In that report he suggested that “the further disposal of saline effluent must be stopped forthwith. Since the project was designed to contain the effluent in the evaporation ponds, to be constructed in Punjab, therefore, it should be limited to the evaporation ponds. In this regard, the earlier decisions of higher authorities must be honored.” The detailed report is available in the research & Development Department SIDA, Hyderabad for reference.

 

(The effluent of Punjab is being disposed off into the area of Sindh Province )