GROUNDWATER EXTRACTION AND WASTE WATER DISPOSAL REGULATION - IS LAHORE AQUIFER AT STAKE WITH AS USUAL APPROACH?

Abstract

Access to clean drinking water is a survival issue for a big metropolitan city like Lahore with an ever increasing population, now exceeding 8 million, along with about 2000 industrial units. The Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA), Lahore is managing water supply from the aquifer through its 467 tubewells having 2-4.0 cusecs capacity. However, there is no artificial recharge mechanism in operation and as a result the aquifer is depleting at about 2 ft/year. After the construction of Thein Dam in 2000 upstream of Madhopur head works in India, flow of Ravi River has drastically ceased which was a major source of recharge to the aquifer. Therefore, sustainability of meeting increased water demand is very much doubtful for the times to come from quantity as well as quality perspective with this alarming depletion rate. At the same time, rapid growth in industrial establishments is having dual sustainability threat for the aquifer in terms of increasing pumping rates and underground seepage from untreated waste disposal. The paper highlights groundwater extraction and waste water disposal regulation requirements along with allied actions for planned groundwater management for long term sustainability of the resource. Imposing groundwater development and waste water treatment charges can be the only option for ensuring sustainability of this precious resource. This can cover anticipated future costs e.g. rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge for maintaining groundwater levels and treatment of generated waste water to safe levels. Community education and participation of all the stake holders in these issues will further improve and ensure success in this regard. It is estimated that by adopting rainwater harvesting and recharge can alone stop the current declining trends in groundwater levels in the city.