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The issue of environment has many dimensions. Its spectrum
is wide as that of universe, ranging from change of climate
to overflowing effluent in slums, choked sewerage lines,
deforestation to environmental hazard caused by traffic
noise and emissions and all other types of pollution e.g.
disposal of garbage & industrial effluent. Preservation
of natural environment is indispensable for human beings
for their heath & quality of life. It is said that
human are created from environment while the environment
is also created by human.
Nature has the capacity to balance the environmental
degradation by absorbing changes in the ecological system
as long as they are within limits. However, once
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Mahmood Akbar Gulahmed |
the amount of pollutants exceeds the revival capacity by nature,
pollutants will upset the balance of nature and lead to pollution
which not only endangers human heath & life but also brings
about complete disruption of natural environment.
Historical
In order to understand the environmental conservation activity
in the country it is essential to know previous efforts made
in this regard.
Govt. of Pakistan in early nineties realized the importance
of environmental pollution control in Pakistan by introducing
National Environmental Quality Standards (NEQS) through statutory
notifications as per recommendations of various advisory committees.
The implementation of these NEQS is, however, proceeding at
a very slow pace, especially for liquid pollutants in effluent
water.
Pakistan Environmental Protection Committee PEPC in its first
meeting held on 10th May 1993 approved the NEQS. Later on, a
set of NEQS was announced under SRO 742 (1) 93 dated 24th Aug
1993.
These approved 32 Nos NEQS parameters for levels of pollutants
in liquid, & 16 for gaseous emissions were of uniform standards
applicable to all kinds of industrial and municipal effluent.
In April 1996, the PEPC set up an Environmental Standards Committee
(ESC) headed by Mr. Shams Kasim Lakha to review, inter alia,
the NEQS and suggest changes where necessary, based on specific
conditions of Pakistan. The Committee realized that some of
the parameters were more stringent than other countries of the
region. So the task of the rationalization of NEQS was referred
to an Expert Advisory Committee to review and suggest changes,
if and where required. Before initiating the task, the Expert
Committee was expanded to also include representatives of trade
and industry. The Expert Committee identified ten parameters
- eight (8) for liquid effluent viz. BOD (biological oxygen
demand), COD (chemical oxygen demand), TDS (total dissolved
solids), Chlorine, Sulphide, Chromium, Ammonia, and Temperature,
and two (2) for gaseous emission viz. SO2 (Sulphur dioxide)
and Nox (Oxides of Nitrogen) for review. After consultation
with various organizations, Expert Advisory Committee completed
its task and proposed it to the ESC. Finally when the PEPC endorsed
the proposed revised NEQS, the Pakistan Environmental Protection
Council recommended to approve the revised draft of parameters
for NEQS. In December 28, 1999 the council approved the revised
NEQS. These NEQS were made effective under SRO 549(1) 2000 dated
8th August 2000.
The Pakistan Environmental Protection Act 1997 was also passed
by National Assembly & Senate of Pakistan in Sept 1997 &
received the assent of President of Pakistan & was announced
on 6th Dec 1997. This act provides the protection, conservation,
rehabilitation & improvement of the environment for the
prevention and control of pollution & promotion of sustainable
development.
Revision of NEQS
While comparing NEQS announced on 24th August 1993 with those
announced on 10th August 2000, only six parameters for inland
water discharge namely: pH, temperature, TSS, fluoride, cyanide
& iron were revised.
This revision of NEQS by PEPC did not serve the purpose for
Pakistan where even environment concept is totally new &
has to be digested in true sense by public and the industrial
sector. All these parameters such as BOD5, COD, & others
etc, which needed further revision were not touched. This seems
very strange, as the limits of NEQS should have been made softer
in this revision so that all those industries aspiring to establish
& operate effluent treatment plants (ETPs) facilities could
have done easily. Revised NEQS parameters are still very stringent.
In cities like Karachi where sub-soil water due to seepage of
sewerage, contains BOD 200 mg/l plus, how far it is justified
to feed effluent water of BOD 80 mg/l into inland channels.
Moreover, NEQS announced on 8th August 2000 a set of three
different parameters for the disposal of effluent water: -
i) Into inland waters
ii) Into sewerage treatment plant
iii) Into Sea
When eventually effluent water from cities someday has to be
either diverted to effluent treatment plants or into sea, then
why to adapt stringent NEQS related to inland water. There is,
however, very big confusion as to which set of NEQS is to be
followed.
Let us discuss following cases where revision of NEQS parameters
is required: -
Case I
New NEQS limits should be applied where there is no centralized
municipal effluent treatment plant and also domestic effluent
water channels are also non-existing. That means that the treated
wastewater is discharged into the nature directly.
Case II
In case an industrial establishment is situated in the municipal
limits of a city, NEQS limits have to be much higher because
the effluent discharge water after pretreatment will mix with
the domestic effluent water in the existing sewerage line. In
this case, there is no sense to fix very stringent limits of
NEQS as effluent water coming out of ETP will again be polluted
during mixing with the municipal waste.
Case III
Another example may be that an industry is situated in an organized
and specially licensed industrial area where a centralized effluent
treatment plant is existing and cluster of similar type of industries
exist. In such a case, NEQS limits must change according to
nature of combined effluent and of that industrial area. These
limits may be fixed for that particular area/zone by Ministry
of Environment (MOE) in consultation with cluster industries.
Pakistan vs other countries
Every country has its own climate, and cultural set up &
hence NEQS parameters which are in force in America cannot be
copied and adapted in Pakistan.
Existing level of NEQS of developed countries where environmental
issues started surfacing 25 years ago have been revised several
times before being adapted in present levels of BOD & COD
etc in their effluent, as these two parameters are generally
necessary to determine the pollution of effluent water. The
logic therefore, demands that sufficient time period should
also be given in Pakistan to gradually upgrade their NEQS parameters.
Table below gives comparison of major NEQS parameters of developing
countries with Pakistan: -
It is to be noted that in Indonesia limits of BOD/COD/TSS are
varying depending upon type of effluent. In Turkey, e.g. in
textile sector government of Turkey has adapted seven NEQS for
processing different textile products.
Setting up & operating an ETP is a social obligation. The
industrial effluent containing sludge is very unfriendly for
the aquatic life.
In order to give due encouragement to Industrial Sector for
setting up ETP, MOE should revise NEQS. It is suggested that
NEQS parameters e.g. BOD, COD & TSS for inland water channels
be revised to 100% of their present level. These new limits
will reduce operating cost of ETPS considerably. The earlier
MOE does it, better it is for the country.
Implementation of NEQS
The knowledge on environmental disciplines is scanty in Pakistan
as this is entirely a new subject. Most of solution providers
are foreign based companies & their designs of ETPS are
not Pakistan specific. Their cost of investment as well as operating
costs are high. Persistent shortage of water also requires use
of effluent water as recycle / reuse water. At present the cost
per gallon of treatment of effluent by ETP & later on its
conversion into recycle / reuse water is higher than prevailing
cost of fresh water supply.
ETPS can either be installed in vertical or in horizontal configuration.
Vertical plants require less space but their operating costs
are high. Horizontal plants require larger areas with high civil
costs for installing various civil tanks/structures for biological
& other purposes. However, their operating costs are low.
In case recycle & reuse of water is not the final aim of
installing an ETP, then pH control followed by proper aeration,
being a biological route for operating ETP, is followed. In
case recycle/reuse of water is the goal, then chemical treatment
of effluent water from biological unit is required.
All the old industrial establishments who are aspiring to set
up ETPS are having constraint of space. They have to either
carve out areas from the existing layout or to plan ETP outside
their territory by purchasing new plot of land. In either case,
the exercise is costly. Acquiring an outside territory &
setting up ETP will add additional cost of conveying effluent
water & later on recycling the recovered water into the
premises.
Measures required to be taken
A policy lacking any consideration of effective pollution control
inevitably brings serious environmental problems such as those
being witnessed at present in Pakistan.
The solution of all these problems, which are causing hindrances
in the implementation of environmental improvement lies in the
hands of city, provincial & federal governments. NEQS parameters
should be revised. ETPS be set up at district level & all
the industrial effluent be redirected into these ETPS. This
exercise requires special outlay of funds in the immediate future
so that implementation phase can be started at once. Separate
supply lines from ETPS for the effluent water, which shall be
obtained in sufficient quantity, can be planned for its use
for agriculture & horticulture activity. If setting up ETP
on district level is not possible then all the industrial zones
be provided free land at appropriate locations, alongwith working
model and also capital to set up cluster of ETPS. Moreover,
special incentives be given to industries opting to set up their
own ETPS and while financial assistance & free land facility
be extended to all industrial zones/associations for setting
up combined ETPS.
The Government, should also set up a high powered task force
for eliminating all hurdles of industrial zones & city governments
in order to enable them to establish ETPS in minimum possible
time.
Let us all endeavor to make Pakistan cleaner, greener and environmentally
friendly country.
| Engr. Mahmood Akbar is a Chemical Engineer with post-graduate
diploma in Chemical Engg from Tokyo Institute of Technology,
Japan. He has forty years of experience working in research
& industry such as chemicals, paper, fertilizer, man-made
fibers & textiles & has published several research
& technical papers during these years. |
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