Chapter 6
Water Contamination and Health Hazards
in Pakistan: An Overview of the Current
Scenario and Contemporary Challenges
Hafiz Waqas Kamran and Abdelnaser Omran
Abstract Drinking water contamination is to be considered as primary health
concern in the present world. In developing countries like Pakistan, arsenic in
drinking water has threatened more than 60 million individuals especially in the
most populated province of Punjab. Present study aims to address this mass poisoning issue which has created severe health diseases in all age categories. An overview
of present steps taken by the Government has also been reviewed under this
discussion. Besides, some proposed solutions like legislative controls, governance,
up to the mark sewerage system, treatment of industrial wastes, and anti-water
pollution rules and regulations are also recommended. For the better sustainability
of both environment and public health, serious attention is required from the relevant
authorities to overcome this burning issue through recommended solutions.
Keywords Water contamination · Arsenic · Punjab · Pakistan
6.1 Introduction
For all the living organisms, water is considered as a fundamental necessity as it is
significantly related to health. But increasing various diseases in the human beings
and properties of water in the form of physical, chemical, and biological are very
much crucial to address (Hanna-Attisha et al. 2016; Shah et al. 2012). In the present
time, several toxic materials and their existence in drinking water is a major problem
for both developed and developing economies (Ahmed et al. 2013; Nawab et al.
2017). Production activities of various industries have produced harmful wastes
which ultimately mixed up with the drinking water and cause a serious problem
H. W. Kamran (*)
School of Economics, Finance and Banking, College of Banking, Universiti Utara Malaysia,
Sintoks, Kedah State, Malaysia
e-mail: hafizwaqaskamran@gmail.com
A. Omran
Faculty of Engineering Sciences, Bright Star University, El-brega, Libya
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2020
A. Omran, O. Schwarz-Herion (eds.), Sustaining our Environment for Better Future,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-7158-5_6
75
Water Contamination and Health Hazards
in Pakistan: An Overview of the Current
Scenario and Contemporary Challenges
Hafiz Waqas Kamran and Abdelnaser Omran
Abstract Drinking water contamination is to be considered as primary health
concern in the present world. In developing countries like Pakistan, arsenic in
drinking water has threatened more than 60 million individuals especially in the
most populated province of Punjab. Present study aims to address this mass poisoning issue which has created severe health diseases in all age categories. An overview
of present steps taken by the Government has also been reviewed under this
discussion. Besides, some proposed solutions like legislative controls, governance,
up to the mark sewerage system, treatment of industrial wastes, and anti-water
pollution rules and regulations are also recommended. For the better sustainability
of both environment and public health, serious attention is required from the relevant
authorities to overcome this burning issue through recommended solutions.
Keywords Water contamination · Arsenic · Punjab · Pakistan
6.1 Introduction
For all the living organisms, water is considered as a fundamental necessity as it is
significantly related to health. But increasing various diseases in the human beings
and properties of water in the form of physical, chemical, and biological are very
much crucial to address (Hanna-Attisha et al. 2016; Shah et al. 2012). In the present
time, several toxic materials and their existence in drinking water is a major problem
for both developed and developing economies (Ahmed et al. 2013; Nawab et al.
2017). Production activities of various industries have produced harmful wastes
which ultimately mixed up with the drinking water and cause a serious problem
H. W. Kamran (*)
School of Economics, Finance and Banking, College of Banking, Universiti Utara Malaysia,
Sintoks, Kedah State, Malaysia
e-mail: hafizwaqaskamran@gmail.com
A. Omran
Faculty of Engineering Sciences, Bright Star University, El-brega, Libya
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2020
A. Omran, O. Schwarz-Herion (eds.), Sustaining our Environment for Better Future,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-7158-5_6
75