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By Kishwar Ijaz Associate Professor, Department of Rural Sociology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad I. BACKGROUND Faisalabad lies on the broad plain of the Indus River system, roughly 550 miles northeast of Karachi. The rivers of this great system rise in the western Himalayas and flow some 1800 miles through the flat Punjab Plain, emptying into the Arabian Sea at Karachi. The waters derive almost completely from the Himalayan snowmelt, bringing life to an essentially arid plain. The entire basin receives 10 inches of rainfall or less per year. The development of dams and canals from this great river system has made Pakistan the most irrigated national agricultural system in the world. This broad plain once knew a rich and flourishing empire. Not far to the south, in the middle of what is now the Cholistan desert, lies Mohenjodaro, center of a great civilization dating back 3000 years. This is also the flat plain across which invading armies have marched since the days of Darius and Alexander the Great. Faisalabad itself, however, is a new city, established by a deliberate plan only at the end of the last century. Here British colonialism worked its transformations, turning unproductive wilderness into land bearing goods for the market. A Lieutenant Governor of the Punjab, Sir James Layall, conceived the idea of digging a canal from the Chenab River, bringing life-giving waters to the new colony. This canal was opened in 1892. Faisalabad, then named Lyallpur in Sir James Layallfs honor, was established as a market town in 1895. It was laid out grationallyh on 110 acres, with eight bazaars, or market areas, on roads radiating out like spokes on a wheel from a central clock tower. The design of the town was prepared by Mr. Young, and was further improved by Sir Ganga Ram, a renowned town planner of the time. With a rich agricultural hinterland made possible by the canal, Faisalabad became a major textile center. Although fully planned from the beginning, the town has been overwhelmed by natural population growth and migration, which seems always to remain ahead of the development of urban infrastructure. Independence in 1947, which brought the partition of Pakistan from India, saw a major influx of Indian Muslim refugees. In 1951 the Government of Pakistan developed a plan to promote industrial activities. Faisalabad was declared an industrial zone with certain incentives for investors. This led to the creation of a number of major textile mills and other factories. Industrialization continued rapidly, making Faisalabad the second largest industrial town in Pakistan, with over 235 industrial enterprises of various types and sizes. To accommodate the growth, the town limits were extended to 29 square miles. At present, the municipal area is about 35 square miles. Although industrialization moved ahead rapidly, housing and urban infrastructure have lagged behind. II. POPULATION DYNAMICS AND
DEMOGRAPHY
A. Faisalabad Population The population of Faisalabad was recorded for the first time in 1931, at which time it stood at 43,000. It grew to 425,000 in 1961 and has continued to increase. The following table provides a summary of both past and projected future growth. Faisalabad now ranks as the third largest city in Pakistan. Population Growth in
Faisalabad
Sources: Government of
Pakistan,
Population Census Organization, Statistics Division, Hand
Book of Population Census Data, 1985.
a. Government of Punjab, Punjab Development Statistics, Bureau of Statistics, Lahore, 1994 b. Faisalabad Development Authority (FDA), Directorate of Environmental Control Structural Plan of Faisalabad (Up to 2000), Faisalabad c. High Population Growth Scenario d. Medium Population Growth Scenario e. Low Population Growth Scenario The population statistics of Faisalabad have, however, remained debatable among planners and the city administration. The sample surveys conducted by the FDA and the Faisalabad Municipal Corporation (FMC) raised the growth rate from the estimates made by the Population Census Organization. The consensus among the urban planners of Faisalabad is that the population figures of the census organization represent an underestimation of the city population. Therefore, for the purpose of population figures, we have relied upon the estimates of the city population made by the Faisalabad city administrators and planners in the FDA. Accordingly, the firm estimate for the present (1997) city population suggests the actual population of Faisalabad to be 2,014,000. Our estimates for the future suggest that by 2020 the population could grow to between 6.4 (Low Population Scenario) and 9.3 (High Population Scenario) million. This growth comes from both natural increases and net migration. B. Quality of Life Faisalabad is presently the third largest urban centre of Pakistan, after Karachi and Lahore. Being typically an industrial centre, it has grown and expanded in many directions over the last five decades. This expansion in size, both in terms of population and industrial activity, has had important implications for the quality of life of the people. Important social indicators of the quality of life include housing, health, education, water supply, gas and electricity supply, sewerage, solid waste etc. Our studies on the availability of these amenities show that the situation has significantly improved over time and the present position as reported by various agencies is given in the table below.
III. SOURCES OF ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION. A. Sewerage and Storm Water Disposal. The existing sewerage situation of Faisalabad is far
below acceptable standards. During the last 40 years the city has grown
considerably, but the necessary extensions to the sewerage system have
not followed suit. The result has been that an inefficient sewerage
system affects the living conditions and health of city dwellers.
Due to the flat topography of the region, there are
several sewage pumping stations. Raw sewage is discharged from disposal
channels into the two main seepage drains, Paharang and Madhuana, in
the west and east respectively. The estimated sewage generation in
Faisalabad is put at 250-260 cusecs (Cubic foot per second), of which
150-160 cusecs come from household establishments and the approximately
100 cusecs come from industrial establishments. About 95 percent are
disposed of effectively. The FMC oversees solid waste management within its
jurisdiction. The existing process comprises household waste
collection, street sweeping, waste collection and transportation, waste
treatment and disposal. Most of the city population is not satisfied
with the current system by the FMC, it is being termed inefficient and
insufficient.
The collection of waste takes place from communal
storage points. There are about 27 masonry filth depots and 90 open
filth depots in the city.
Plastics, paper, textiles and stones are also present
(comprising 3-6%) together with other components in lesser
amounts. Studies by the ODA indicate that effective collection
and disposal of solid waste in Faisalabad is presently around 50
percent. C. Industrial Waste Management. At present large quantities of solid as well as liquid waste are produced through industrial activities in Faisalabad. Both types pose major pollution risks. Particularly dangerous are the liquid effluents created by textile factories. These become more hazardous when they are channeled into the domestic sewer system. The existing system is unable to cope with the overall volume of liquid produced, resulting in its spread to the open spaces of land in and around Faisalabad. These discharged quantities are estimated to be almost equal to the present level of water consumption. The negative impact on the overall quality of the environment, especially on ground water quality, becomes still more serious. This is because many of these discharges contain significant quantities of heavy metal and contaminants from chemicals used in the dye or bleaching processes associated with textile industries and soap making units. Furthermore, the unrestricted use of these effluents in the production of crops, especially vegetables, has adverse effects on human and livestock health. Similarly, emissions of smoke, other gases and fumes from the industrial establishments create serious health hazards. D. Hospital Waste. Studies conducted by the WASA, Faisalabad show that on average a hospital with 50-100 beds generates about 80 kg of waste per day. The results of this survey reveal that the total quantity of hospital waste in Faisalabad is presently about 5.5 tonnes per day. Since most of this waste is contaminated, and has no arrangement for proper disposal, it carries serious health hazards to the people. Data on the health of Faisalabadfs population are not readily available. The three major diseases are reported by the health department, however, these have changed slightly over the past 27 years. In 1970, these were TB, malaria and typhoid. By 1997 malaria had been brought under control, and the three main diseases were typhoid, dysentery and liver disease. We do not have data on the incidence of other diseases, but these few observations indicate that infectious diseases are still paramount. Moreover, they derive from environmental conditions that could be controlled by a more adequate urban infrastructure, in particular the provision of clean water and the more effective management of human waste. E. Traffic Congestion. The city was originally laid out as a square, with eight bazaars radiating from the Central Clock Tower to act as a focal point for inbound traffic. These radiating roads merge with the fringes of an outer road encircling the perimeter of the city. A road also encompasses the eight bazaars. Commercial activities were carried on at each bazaar while other activities such as residential, religious and educational activities etc. were conducted between these bazaars. The urban sprawl caused by the influx of people after independence necessitated a piecemeal development, resulting in the choking of the central business district. Increased commercial activities began to invade the residential areas, resulting in heavy traffic congestion on streets meant to serve residential development. The central business district is now overcrowded with buildings, and parking spaces are very limited. Long queues of bicycles are now a common scene at all bazaars. The uncontrolled physical growth of the city, the lack of a ring road linking the different spokes radiating from the center, and the spread of industrial activities into residential zones, have destroyed any capacity for a smooth and safe flow of traffic. Moreover, the surrounding settlements are now being served by inadequate and irregular patterns of roads. There is a great variety of vehicles in common use on Faisalabadfs streets. These include motorized or man-powered rickshaws, bicycles, motorcycles, cars, large trucks, small vans, and buses. In addition, there are carts drawn by donkeys, horses, camels or oxen. Recent traffic counts show the total number of motorized vehicles in Faisalabad to be around 104 thousand. Non-motorized vehicles such as donkey/camel carts, hand carts, yakkas, tri-vans, etc. are counted to be 8,000. Daily travel patterns show that the public transportation system carries about 40 percent of the daily traffic. Approximately 33 percent of people in Faisalabad use bicycles as their means of daily transportation, while 15 percent travel on foot and 12 percent use private automobiles. The number of accidents in Faisalabad has remained small, but is now on the increase. It increased from 70 in 1970 to 130 in 1998. There is currently no monitoring of air quality in Faisalabad. Personal assessments of the author reveal that vehicle exhaust pollution, containing particulate matter, nitrous oxides and lead is high. One study by scientists at the University of Agriculture (Rehman et al, 1988) shows plasma levels varying from 0.14-0.4ppm in clean areas, contrasted with levels of 0.64-1.6ppm in highly congested areas. It seems certain that the growth of vehicles has brought more air pollution. There is the need both for more empirical studies and for better emission control to protect human health. F. Housing Problems. According to a survey conducted by the FDA, the city is facing an acute shortage of housing. The problem is twofold. Firstly, many old houses need to be replaced. Secondly, the rate of supply of houses should keep pace with the increasing population, so that no further shortage may occur in the years to come. According to the survey, of the total 215,000 housing units in Faisalabad, 2.25 percent are detached, 19.23 percent are semi-detached and 78.52 percent are row houses. According to an estimate, around 30 percent of the total population of Faisalabad reside in gKatchi Abadiesh[1], and in slums. The problems of managing solid waste, sewage disposal, traffic congestion etc. are more severe in these areas than in the other relatively developed areas in the city. Consequently, the population of these areas is exposed to serious environmental hazards. In brief, the level of environmental pollution in the city is increasing day by day due to the increasing number of smoke-emitting vehicles, evaporation of chemicals and release of untreated waste by textile processing units. The situation has been exacerbated by sanitary workers of the FMC, who have made it a habit to burn heaps of rubbish and filth almost every morning. Health experts say that smoke emitting from faulty vehicles and garbage burning contains carcinogens. Thousands of polythene bags are burnt daily by the FMC employees but no environmental protection agency has taken note of the situation. Experts say that the city air has already been polluted by thousands of power loom units operating in congested areas for decades, which release cotton particles that cause asthma and other chest diseases. IV. MONITORING AND MANAGEMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS. In an effort to address problems of environmental degradation, the Government of Pakistan promulgated the Environmental Protection Ordinance of 1983. This called for the establishment of environmental protection agencies for each of the countryfs provinces. The Punjab Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was established in 1987. The ordinance established standards in 32 categories, from temperature and pH to fluorides and toxic metals, and for 16 gasses, from smoke and particulate matter to nitrous oxides and zinc. Unfortunately, implementation is exceptionally weak. The city lacks legislative authority to enforce emission standards, and there is as yet no monitoring of air quality in the city, nor is there a local facility for the chemical analysis of effluent samples taken from the industrial plants. Water is monitored at the source, but not at the usersf end. As might be expected, the textile and grain mills are a major source of air, water and land pollution. Local studies (Ahmad et al, 1989 and Ahmad 1990) have shown that chemicals used by the textile industry impact the heart and liver significantly. Dying processes in the textile industry are also major sources of pollution that go unchecked. Noise and offensive industrial odors are generally recognized as serious problems, but they are neither monitored nor controlled. Untreated industrial water is the main source of pollution and is dangerous to both human and marine life. In an attempt to deal with these environmental problems, the Chief Minister of the Punjab has very recently announced the establishment of a new water treatment plant in Faisalabad, which will treat one third of the total industrial water effluent \ about 100 cusecs \ and turn the collected waste of the store ponds[2] into fertilizer. In addition, a law was passed in 1997, which envisages the creation of Environmental Protection Courts to deal with the violation of minimum standards. Our assessments, based on the considered opinion of the city administrators and the plans of action that are underway, suggest that the present elected leadership of the FMC is not only fully aware of the Herculean tasks before them but is also taking a number of practical steps towards ensuring a better quality of life for the citizens of Faisalabad in the coming years. Some of the positive developments that have either taken place or are possibly in the early steps of execution include the following: 1. Improvement of existing sewerage system, including the extension of this facility to areas not covered yet. 2. Easing of traffic congestion through the construction of intra-city roads, overpasses, underpasses, bypasses and improvement of traffic junctions at critical points, with emphasis on the removal of encroachments and widening of roads. 3. To mitigate the effect of the polluted environment, the following plans of action are in the process of execution:
[1] Unplanned housing colonies with very limited and insufficient civic amenities. [2] Open ponds meant for temporary storage of effluents prior to treatment. |
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