Impact of Extreme Floods on Groundwater Quality (in Pakistan)

Abstract

Study of long and short-term impact of hydro-meteorologically induced extreme flood on groundwater from well is a baby science, yet to grow and groom. This article focuses on the environmental impacts of the worst Pakistani floods on water quality of affected areas, Charsadda and Nowshera districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province which experienced a disastrous flood in its record due to torrential monsoon rains in late July 2010. For this purpose, consuming water products from 10 main sources (tube wells), 10 intermediate points in water supply distribution system and 10 consumers' ends in 30 selected sites of flood affected areas were collected and analyzed for 12 key factors. Most of the parameters with respect to the standard limits of WHO guidelines indicated contamination in all samples that are directly available from tube wells as well as the one supplied through damaged pipe distribution system. This result becomes more fatal in the presence of microbial contamination and makes water risky for domestic consumption. A concrete policy addressing post-flood environmental effects on life and human health should be devised and strictly followed. Individual cases must be assessed from a basinwide perspective in order to make sure that environmental concerns are judiciously and properly represented in flood planning and risk management decisions.

Assessment of Groundwater Quality and Associated Health Risks in Rural Areas of Sindh (Pakistan)

“…In Pakistan over 40% of urban deaths are linked to waterborne diseases originated due to consumption of contaminated water [4]. A number of studies have been documented on severe contamination of drinking water sources with hazardous pathogenic bacteria like Shigella sp., V. cholerae, P. aeruginosa, Salmonella, and S. aureus in different areas of Pakistan caused by recent floods, which have resulted diseases like diarrhea, cholera, typhoid fever, food poisoning, dysentery, gastroenteritis, and other serious infections [5][6][7][8].…”

“…Due to ingestion of As rich water, it is estimated that about 200 million people globally are at the health risk of As poisoning [11]. A number of other investigations have also been carried out to evaluate physicochemical and microbiological quality of drinking water and possible health risks [8], [12][13][14][15]. Similarly, high concentration of different minerals and trace metals have also been highlighted in a recent study conducted in district, Rajanpur, Pakistan [16].…”

Groundwater quality and associated health risks in flood affected public schools: A case study of district Sanghar, Pakistan

“…A number of other studies have also been documented on severe contamination of drinking water sources with hazardous pathogenic bacteria li ke Shigella sp., V. cholerae, P. aeruginosa, Salmonella, and S. aureus in different areas of Pakistan caused by recent floods, which have resulted diseases like diarrhea, typhoid fever, cholera, dysentery, food poisoning, gastroenteritis, and other serious infections (Baig, Xu, & Khan, 2012;Khan, Ali, Ullah, & Ayaz, 2013;Saeed & Attaullah, 2014). Women and children are more prone to waterborne diseases and it is estimated that in developing countries, 1.7 million deaths per year which include 90% children are attributed to diarrheal disease due to lack of safe drinking water (WHO, 2004).…”

Quantifying the impact of socioeconomic development and climate change on Escherichia coli concentrations in the Pakistani Kabul River

“…Such studies are, however, difficult due to underreporting and non-registration in hospitals of these cases and the many confounding variables (Bagchi, 2007;Hashizume et al, 2007). The disease risk due to waterborne pathogens is related to the concentration of waterborne pathogens in surface and drinking water (Azizullah et al, 2011;Saeed and Attaullah, 2014). People are exposed to pathogens by drinking contaminated water, using it for recreation or eating vegetables irrigated or washed with contaminated water (Lloyd et al, 2007;Zhang et al, 2012).…”

“…Waterborne pathogens causes waterborne diseases like diarrhoea, which is the fourth leading cause fo dealth in children under five years of age (UN, 2015). Waterborne diseases are linked to waterborne pathogen concentrations in water systems (Azizullah et al, 2011;Saeed and Attaullah, 2014). To analyse the microbial contamination in water systems, usually indicators, such as fecal coliforms and Escherichia coli (E. coli), are used in water systems (Coffey et al, 2007;Odonkor and Ampofo, 2013).…”