Water resources policy and administrative management

Hudiara drain originates from Batala (District Gurdaspur - East India, Punjab) and after being joined by many tributaries in Amritsar and covering 40 Kms enters Pakistan near Laloo village. This drain which used to be a natural storm water nullah now carries sewage water mingled with untreated industrial waste as it enters Pakistan taking the highly contaminated water to the river Ravi after travelling 55 Km. This drain was originally a storm water drain. However, dumping of industrial and domestic wastewater has turned it into a perennial drain. Its annual average discharge at its confluence with the River Ravi is 178 cusecs. There are approximately 100 industries of different natures situated along Hudiara Drain in Pakistan which dump effluent into it. In addition wastewater of some parts of Lahore City and of other small villages also enters the drain. In its project on Water Quality Monitoring of Hudiara Drain, WWF - P had assessed the environmental health of this drain and had found it to be highly unsatisfactory; it was unfit for irrigation use, it had high levels of heavy metal, it was biologically contaminated and did not support any aquatic life and moreover was contributing to groundwater contamination.

Pakistan