Study of water quality of Hudiara drain, India-Pakistan

This paper examines the extent of pollution in Hudiara drain water due to u ntreated industrial and sewage waste of India and Pakistan. Ninety-nine sur face water samples from the Pakistani side of the Hudiara drain were collec ted during September 1997, and April and June 1998. The analytical results of the Hudiara drain samples point out the industrial and sewage inputs fro m India and Pakistan. Higher values of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), che mical oxygen demand(COD), total organic carbon(TOC), and trace metals in dr ain samples from the Indo-Pak border clearly indicate the Indian industrial and sewage pollution. Large variations in the levels of various measured p arameters (COD, BOD, TOC, pH, total soluble substances, and trace metals) w ere observed along the Hudiara drain in the Pakistani vicinity. These varia tions were due to different types of industrial effluents and small village drains. The study showed that suspended solids(SS), GOD, and fecal colifor m (FC) were the major pollutants. Accordingly, the most feasible alternativ e is to convert the drainage network to a sedimentation and temporary stora ge reservoir. If disinfected, the runoff water can be used for restricted i rrigation. Groundwater samples taken from the drain's surrounding area have also been analyzed. Thirty percent of the samples are not fit for drinking purposes due to NO3-N, Se and FC counts as prescribed by World Health Orga nization (WHO) guidelines. A trilinear diagram clearly indicates the influe nce of surface water of the Hudiara drain on ground water; moreover, higher values of nitrate and FC clearly indicate the seepage from the Hudiara dra in. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.