Devastating Flood of 2010, Effect on Potabile Water Supply in Rural Swat

Muhammad Israr^1, , M. Sadiq Hashmi², Nafees Ahmad³, Gauhar Rahman⁴, Shakeel Ahmad⁵ and Shamsher Ali⁶

¹Department of Rural Development, The University of Agriculture, Peshawar Pakistan

²Department of Economics, Karakoram International University Gilgit – Baltistan

³Department of Economics, University of Malakand (Chakdara) Dir Lower-Pakistan

⁴Department of Rural Development, Amir Muhammad Khan Campus, Mardan, The University of Agriculture, Peshawar, KP- Pakistan

⁵M.Phil Scholar, Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS Institute, Abbottabad

⁶Department of Soil and Environmental Sciences, Amir Muhammad Khan Campus, Mardan, The University of Agriculture, Peshawar, KP-Pakistan

Cite this paper

Muhammad Israr, M. Sadiq Hashmi, Nafees Ahmad, Gauhar Rahman, Shakeel Ahmad and Shamsher Ali. Devastating Flood of 2010, Effect on Potabile Water Supply in Rural Swat. American Journal of Water Resources. 2015; 3(4):118-123. doi: 10.12691/AJWR-3-4-3

Abstract

This study was conducted in areas of KuzKunda, Ghat and KwaroTangi, Madyan Union Council of the rural Swat with the aims to assess the potable drinking water quality after the devastating flood of 2010, in the valley. For doing this forty samples of the spring water were collected from different ground water sources, i.e. tube wells, springs, dug wells and hand pumps in the area. These samples were analyzed for physical and chemical parameters including heavy metals Plumbum (Pb), Zinc (Zn), Nickel (Ni) and Chromium (Cr) and the results were compared with international standards of the World Health Organization (WHO). According to standards of WHO the pH, EC, total dissolves solids and Turbidity of spring water in all villages were in fewer amounts. But the concentration is higher than the standard of WHO in KuzKunda and KwaroTangi. Findings also show that most of the physio-chemical parameters, i.e. total suspended solids, pH, salinity, total dissolved solids, chloride, sodium, potassium and zinc were, according to the international standard limits of WHO, while electrical conductivity, alkalinity, hardness, lead, chromium, nickel, calcium and magnesium were above the international standard of WHO. This is due to heavy metal contamination in the study area with mix zone rocks. These above limits of the mentioned ions lead to the unsafe drinking water quality of the Madyan area. The study recommends that the drinking spring water was generally of good quality, but it’s better to be chlorinated and boiled before use.

Keywords

physico-chemical parameters, heavy metals, drinking water, melange zone, health risk

Copyright

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

References

[1]	Azizullah, A. Muhammad. N. K. K. Peter. R. and Donat-Peter. H.(2011). Water pollution in Pakistan and its impact on public Health. J. Env. Inte. 37: pp 479-497.
[2]	Benyon, R. and Griffiths, J. (2010). Securing safe, clean drinking water for all; Drinking water Inspectorate Our Strategic Objectives 2010-2015. Published by Drinking Water Inspectorate, Area 4a Ergon House London SW1P 2AL Available at: http://www.dwi.gov.uk.
[3]	CJSC (2012). Spring water importance - Jermukgroup.am. Available online at: www.jermukgroup.am/en/Water_importance.pp.126-130.
[4]	Kibert,C.J., Thiele, L., Peterson, A. and Monroe, M. (2010). The Ethics of Sustainability, In Theory and In Fact,” In reshaping the built Environment, Charles J. Kibert, Ed., Washington, D.C.: Island Press.
[5]	Manahan, S.E., (1994). Environmental chemistry, Guide Book, Lewis Publisher Pakistan, No. 71, pp. 675-704.
[6]	Oxman, A.R., Oxer, A.M.,(2000). The dev. of rural water supply in the province of Fayoum, Egypt, Water Sci. and Tec., pp.1-14.
[7]	Rizwanullah., Malik, R.N., Qadir, A.( 2009). Assessment of ground water contamination in an industrial city, Sialkot, Pakistan. African J. of Env. Sci. andTec., 3 (12), pp 429-46.
[8]	Shafi, M.M., N. Ahmad, S.N. Shaukat and M. Israr. (2009). Availability and utilization of social services (potable water supply and sanitation) by rural community in District Swat. Sarhad J. Agric. Vol. 25(4): pp.649-655.
[9]	Shah, M. T., Begum, S., Khan, S.(2010). Pedo and biogeochemical studies of mafic and ultramfic rocks in the Mingora and Kabal areas, Swat, Pakistan. Env. Earth Sci., Vol (60), pp 1091-1102.
[10]	Sotirios, J.W., Viessman, W.J., Hammer, M.J., (2007). Water supply and pollution control. 3rd Edition, New York.Sotirios, K., Aikaterini, S., Nikolaos, M., Manos,
[11]	UN., (2009). Evaluation of the quality of drinking water in regions of Greece. Labo. of Env. Che., Deptt. of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian Uni. of Athens, Panepistimiopolis.
[12]	WHO/UNICEF.(2010). Evaluation of a new water treatment for point-of-use household applications to remove microorganisms and arsenic from drinking water. J. Water and Health. Vol. 1(2): pp.73-84.