By Faiza Gillani
MUZAFFARABAD: Azad Jammu and Kashmir, a region known for its natural beauty due to greenery, forests, Rivers and springs for clean drinking water, is heading towards disaster due to environmental degradations as its rivers and springs are going to dry and contaminated.
The Neelum River which runs from the Muzaffarabad city, capital of the region, now turned into a nullah after 80 percent of its water was diverted from 30 kilometers away through an underground tunnel for Neelum-Jhelum hydroelectric power project. The river had been and still is the main source of water supply to inhabitants of city and also for the drainage, sewage but due to less flow of water, not only the water supply issues are raising but the contamination is growing as well. Sumaira BB, a resident of Tariqabad area in the city, said before 2015, they had enough water for household use as tap water was flowing at their home daily for two hours but now it comes for only one hour after an alternate day. She said when they contact water supply department, they blame for low flow in the river for acute shortage of water supply. She further narrated that they used to bring drinking water from the spring but now reports have come that the springs were contaminated. Muhammad Iqbal lives near the Neelum River in the middle of the city. He complaint that after the functioning of Neelum Jhelum power project, the river turned into a dirty nullah and it had become difficult for them to live in the area due smell arises from the river. He said earlier, heavy flow of water used to sweep dirt but the low flow in the river was unable to wash it generating smell in the adjourning areas.
Garbage from the whole city is being dumped into the river beside sewage lines also open into it turning it into a dirty nullah after the diversion of water from Noseri dam, 30 kilometers away from the city. Chief Officer Municipal Corporation Anjam Bilal said the corporation daily pick around 55 tunes of garbage from the city and since there was no dumping site or recycling facility, they dump along the river banks. According to shumail commission report 2019 the diversion also caused raise in temperature from 4 to 5 degree centigrade posing danger to life . water temperature of the river before the diversion never raised to 4 degree centigrade even in June July while now it raises up to 15 degree in the summer which have endangered many species . Accordingly the maximum temperature in the city always remained below 37 degree centigrade before the diversion of river while now it goes up to 42 degree centigrade during the hottest days of summer.
Tap water is being lifted from the river and shortage has become acute after the diversion as flow reduced and according to water supply department, their pumps are sucking sand during the dry spell of the session. The only drinking water source in the city is springs, a total of twenty three in number but the expert reveal that all are 100 percent contaminated according to a laboratory examination of samples in 2019
Ms. Sehrish, an Assistant director in the environmental protection Agency (EPA), said according to spring water survey report released in 2019 by the EPA, 100 percent springs in the city were contaminated and hazardous to human life due to mixing of sewage as the population was expending without proper planning and construction in the hilly areas without any proper drainage system.
Public health engineering (PHE), a department responsible for water supply in the city, has been facing difficulty cater the needs of water supply due to low water flow in the river after the diversion as only 20 cubic water is being flown in the river from the dam by the authorities compared to 30 cumics as was pledged before diversion by the water and power development authority (WAPDA), said an official.
The official said they had no other source of water supply in the city as water treatment plant was functioning at Makri near the river Neelum and population in city was expanding rapidly increasing the demand while decreasing the supply due to less flow of water in the river and they will be unable to cater the needs of water in the city unless the maintaining of river flow minimum at 30 cumics. According to 1998 census, the population of Muzaffarabad was 4,53975 while 2017 census shows 650,370, an increase of around 200,000 persons.
The EPA in its environmental assess study report prior to the start of the project had suggested some environmental mitigation measures including maintaining the water flow in the river up to 30 cumics, making water bodies at different places from Noseri to city area for keeping water level up, building green areas, constructing water treatment plant and solid waste recycling plant to overcome the effects but nothing has been done till now.
Neelum-Jhelum hydroelectric power project started in 2008,completed in 2018 and now generating 960 megawatt power adding 5 billion units electricity annually in the National grid and earning of Rs 55 billion annually but nothing has been spent environmental mitigation measures despite repeated memorandums to WAPDA by the government and EPA, the official said.
Neelum Jhelum hydro power (NJHP) Managing director (MD) bgdr r M.Zareen refused to give his point of view on telephone about the issue and his office is in islamabad.
Geological experts claimed that international standards and codes had also not been followed during the construction of the project leaving threats to human, wild and marine life in the area besides adding the factors of climate change such as temperature in the city raised up to 5 degree centigrade due to low flow of water in the river besides contamination level.
A report named Shumail commission report on social environmental and strategic issues and report on water issues of muzaffarabad city NJHP issued by federal secretary water resources Khawaja Shumail on 1st April 2019 also said that proper biological study of river was not conducted prior to start of the project and the diversion has caused many environmental issues including the raise in temperature in the city and posing danger life. It suggested different measures to mitigate the environmental effects but nothing was done so for.
Shahid Awan, a social activist and member of save rivers committee, strongly reacted while giving his point of view and said environmental disaster had been created by diversion of the river destroying the whole ecosystem of the region.
A dozen of illegal crush plants working around the city have been adding fuel to fire polluting air as well but the authorities are passing responsibilities to each other for taking action against these killing agents. Dr. Aqeel Gillani a pulmonologist said that according to last five to six years analysis of his patients, every second person in the city was suffering from respiratory problems like allergy, hepatitis, throat diseases and other illness caused by air and water pollution.