HYDERABAD: The quality of water wells around Gorano reservoir of Tharparkar district has improved in last ten months as salinity level of wells has decreased, indicated a third-party laboratory report submitted to Sindh Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).
According to details, the lab report has certified that “an overall decrease in TDS (salinity) over a period of ten months was observed in Gorano pond and peripheral areas.” An independent monitoring consultant, Global Environmental Labs (GEL) had been evaluating samples of 15 wells situated in villages around Gorano pond and submitting to SEPA as regular environment monitoring obligation.
The lab had tested 15 water samples from drinking water wells from villages of Gorano, Kaatan, Hajam, Kolhi Ji Dhani and Meghwar Ji Dhani on December 15, 2016. Tests for water quality of same wells were again carried out on September 12, 2017, which disclosed that the quality had improved significantly or remained unchanged.
The lab reports also indicated that the scale of acidity or alkalinity (pH) among water samples currently taken was within the permissible limits of World Health Organization (WHO).
GEL was established in 1996 as the first dedicated environmental lab of Pakistan in private sector and in a decade the lab has grown from initial operations being limited to the effluent analysis of certain parameters of NEQS to the addition of specialized and highly skilled services.
The SECMC Technical General Manager Faisal Iqbal Siddiqui, terming recent water quality results by an independent monitor encouraging, said that they had been discharging water in Gorano Reservoir since March this year and claims of polluting water wells in surroundings had proved unsubstantiated after the lab report.
He argued that they were utilising mine water to grow crops under two different pilot projects of bio-saline agriculture. “Results are encouraging as we have been able to grow cotton, vegetables and different varieties of fodder,” he said.
