Report of River Ravi Commission sub-committee:

Findings of visits to
Bioremediation sites, Islamabad &
Waste Stabilization Ponds, Faisalabad







August 2012











August 2012

Photographs used in this report were taken by Sohail Ali Naqvi, WWF-Pakistan & Mr. Nihal Asghar,
SEAL.
This report is produced for River Ravi Commission and can be used as a reference giving credits to
the authors.
Citation: Naqvi S.A., S.N. Asghar, M.A. Mehmood, A. Abbas, S.A. Kashmiri (2012). Report of River
Ravi Commission sub-committee: Findings of visits to Bioremediation sites, Islamabad &
Waste Stabilization Plant, Faisalabad. A report submitted to River Ravi Commission. pp .1-
38.

Copyright: 2012 WWF Pakistan.
All rights reserved. Reproduction of this publication for educational and other non-commercial
purposes is authorized without prior permission from the copyright holder, provided the source is fully
acknowledged.
No part of this publication may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means photographic,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or information storage and
retrieval systems without permission of the author.
Available from: WWF Pakistan, Ferozepur Road, Lahore
Report Prepared By: Naqvi S.A., S.N. Asghar, M.A. Mehmood, A. Abbas, S.A. Kashmiri



Report of River Ravi Commission sub-committee l


Report of River Ravi Commission sub-committee:
Findings of visits to
Bioremediation sites, Islamabad &
Waste Stabilization Ponds, Faisalabad


August 2012




















ll

Acknowledgements
We are thankful to River Ravi Commission for providing us an opportunity and their
confidence on us to carry out this study. We are also thankful to WWF-Pakistan for
providing logistical support to visit Bioremediation Sites at Islamabad and Waste
Stabilization Ponds at Faisalabad. We are also grateful to the team of Bioremediation Unit
at National Agriculture Research Center, Islamabad and WASA, EPD Faisalabad for
sparing their time and giving us detailed briefing about the waste water treatment plants.
The members of sub-committee are also thankful to GEL laboratory and EPD Government
of Punjab for conducting analysis of water samples collected from the waste water
treatment plants. The team also wishes to thank staff from WASA, Lahore for arranging visit
to Babu Sabu area for selection of site for future intervention. We would also like to
acknowledge the support of GIS team from WWF-Pakistan and GPS team of SEAL
laboratory for their help to conduct survey at Babu Sabu.


Members of Sub-committee of River Ravi Commission
August, 2012













Report of River Ravi Commission sub-committee lll
Table of Contents
________________________________________________________________________









S. No. Title Page No.





1.
2.
2.1.
2.1.1.
2.1.2.
2.2.
3.
3.1.

3.2.

4.
5.
5.1.
5.2.

Annex 1

Acknowledgements
List of Abbreviations
List of Figures
List of Tables
Summary
Introduction
Field Visits
Visit to Constructed Wetlands at NARC, Islamabad
Experimental site (Bioremediation Garden)
Visit to Bioremediation Orchards
Visit to Waste Stabilization Ponds, Faisalabad
Results and Discussion
Characteristics of treated wastewater from Constructed Wetlands,
NARC, Islamabad
Characteristics of Treated water from Waste Stabilization Ponds,
Faisalabad
Conclusions
Recommendations
Demonstration Project of Bioremediation for Lahore
Cost Estimation of the Demonstration Plant

Notification of River Ravi Commission by Lahore High Court,
Lahore
ii
iv
v
vii
viii
9
12
12
12
14
17
23
23

25

27
28
28
32

35


lv


List of Abbreviation
Annex ....................................................................................................................... Annexure
0
C .................................................................................................................... Degree Celsius
BOD ............................................................................................. Biological Oxygen Demand
BOQ .................................................................................................................. Bill of Quantity
COD .............................................................................................. Chemical Oxygen Demand
E ........................................................................................................................................ East
EPD ........................................ Environmental Protection Department, Government of Punjab
Fig. ................................................................................................................................. Figure
GEL ..................................................................................... Global Environmental Laboratory
GPS ............................................................................................... Global Positioning System
h or hr ............................................................................................................................. Hours
ha .............................................................................................................................. Hectares
HRT ................................................................................................. Hydraulic Retention Time
Km ............................................................................................................................. Kilometre
LCS ............................................................................................ Lahore Conservation Society
LDPE ............................................................................................... Low Density Polyethylene
pH ................................................................................................ Hydrogen ion concentration
PELA ................................................................ Pakistan Environmental Lawyers Association
PILAP .......................................................... Public Interest Litigation Association of Pakistan
m ................................................................................................................................... Meters
m
3 ......................................................................................................................................................................................
Cubic Meter
MAF .............................................................................................................. Million Acre Feet
mm ........................................................................................................................... Millimetre
N ..................................................................................................................................... North
NARC ........................................................ National Agricultural Research Center, Islamabad
NEQS .................................................................... National Environmental Quality Standards
No. .............................................................................................................................. Number
P.M ..................................................................................................................... post Meridian
R.R.C ................................................................................................. River Ravi Commission
SEAL ............................................................. Solution Environment and analytical laboratory
TDS ...................................................................................................... Total Dissolved Solids
Temp ................................................................................................................... Temperature
TSS ................................................................................................... Total Suspended Solids
WASA ....................................................................................... Water and Sanitation Agency
WSP ................................................................................................. Waste Stabilisation Plant
WWF ............................................................................ World Wide Fund for Nature Pakistan
WWT .................................................................................................. Waste Water Treatment


Report of River Ravi Commission sub-committee v
List of Figures
Figures Description Page No.
Figure 1 Bioremediation at the NARC Garden 13
Figure 2 Aquaculture wetland at NARC Garden 13
Figure 3 Color of water after treatement 13
Figure 4 Water Lettuce for the bioremediation 13
Figure 5
Schematic diagram of Experimental Bioremediation Garden
at NARC
14
Figure 6 A view of Bioremediation Orchards at NARC 15
Figure 7 Inlet watercourse for the treatment into NARC orchard 16
Figure 8 Sedimentation tank at NARC Orchard 16
Figure 9 Plantation area for different species of plants 16
Figure 10 Constructed wetlands (Water Lettuce) 16
Figure 11 Color of treated water 16
Figure 12 Treated water flowing (Within NEQS) 16
Figure 13 Schematic diagram of WSP at Faisalabad 18
Figure 14 Wastewater inlet into Screen chamber 18
Figure 15 Grid bars for the solids removal 18
Figure 16 Flow meter for flow measuring in chambers 19
Figure 17 Grit removal chamber 19
Figure 18 Inlet channel for anaerobic ponds 19
Figure 19 Water collection chamber from lined channel 19
Figure 20 Sludge ponds 20
Figure 21 Anaerobic pond 20
Figure 22 Facultative ponds 20
Figure 23 Facultative pond No. 2 20
Figure 24 Treated water discharge into Paharang drain 21
Figure 25 Incomplete infrastructure for water uplifting 21
Figure 26 Untreated water used for Agriculture 22
Figure 27 Treated water used for Agriculture 22
Figure 28
Water sampling points at Bioremediation Garden, NARC,
Islamabad
24
Figure 29

Water sampling points at Bioremediation Orchard, NARC,
25

vl

Islamabad
Figure 30
Wastewater passing through nallah after pumping at Babu
Sabu
29
Figure 31 Flood protection bund on WASA land 29
Figure 32 Naturally grown wetlands in wastewater 29
Figure 33 Agriculture on WASA acquired land 29
Figure 34 Map of the site proposed for Bioremediation at Babu Sabu 31
Figure 35 Elevation of the proposed site at Babu Sabu 32




Report of River Ravi Commission sub-committee vll


List of Tables

Table No. Description Page No.
Table 1.1
List of major disposal stations with discharging capacity into
River Ravi
10
Table 3.1a
Report of water sample analysis from Bioremediation
Garden, NARC, Islamabad
23
Table 3.1b
Report of water sample analysis from Bioremediation
Orchard, NARC, Islamabad
24
Table 3.2
Report of Waste Water samples analysis collected from
WASA treatment plant Chakera, Faisalabad
26
Table 5.1
The land requirements and cost estimation for the
construction of ponds at Babu Sabu
33
Table 5.2 The material required for the constructed wetlands 33



vlll


Summary
Lahore High Court established a River Ravi Commission (RRC) to provide suggestion to
improve the ecology of River Ravi and suggest some indigenous technology to reduce the
pollution load in the waste water entering into the River Ravi on regular basis. The RRC
made a sub-committee to evaluate two on-going waste water treatment approaches located
at Islamabad and Faisalabad. Visit to both sites were made by the sub-committee members
and based on these visits sub-committee suggests to develop a bioremediation project
based on the concept of Constructed wetlands initially as demonstration for 10 cusec of
waste water. Based on survey, a piece of land at Babu Sabu covering an area of about 50
acres has been proposed for the development of constructed wetlands. Based on the
performance of this unit further decision will be made.


Report of River Ravi Commission sub-committee 9
1. Introduction
River Ravi is the smallest of five main Eastern tributaries of the Indus. It starts from
basin of Bangal and flows in the southern slopes of Dhanladhar. In the mountainous
area, the Ravi flows at 290 Km with a total drop of 4,570 meters at about 21.77 m per
Km. Its average slope is 8.52 m per Km. After passing through Gurdaspur District of
India, it enters into Pakistan near Jassar, about 120 km upstream of Lahore and flows
down to about 520 km to join the River Chenab near Kabirwala. The major water usage
of River Ravi is for agriculture.
The catchment area and River bed lies between 3 10 -15 and 3 10-42 North latitude
and 74
o
- 01 and 74-39 East longitude. River Ravi flows in the west of Lahore District
forming the boundary with Sheikhupura District. The flow area experiences extremes of
climate. The temperatures vary from 27.4
0
C to 40.4
0
C in summer and 5.9
0
C to 22
0
C
in winter and the average annual rainfall in Lahore is about 629 mm. The area is
generally flat and slopes towards south and south west at an average gradient of
1:3000. The soil is generally alluvial and depth of 24.4 30.5 meters.
Pollution Load in River Ravi : There are many industries located near the River Ravi
and through their effluent into the River, in addition, it brings some effluent from India as
well. Almost all of the municipal waste of Lahore city is also dumped into the River Ravi.
Therefore, River Ravi is being polluted with industrial and municipal wastewater. The
flow in the River Ravi is highly variable from less than 10 m
3
/s to 10,000 m
3
/sec
between 1967-2004 and present discharge has been reduced upto 1,357.7 Million m
3

(1.1 MAF) because of irrigation and hydropower diversions put by India. So at the
upstream of Balloki head, the river has mostly discharge of wastewater where dilution
factor of 1:10 is not being met. There are 15 main drains in Lahore and Shekhupura
which are discharging municipal and industrial wastewater directly into River Ravi
without any treatment. The list of existing 12 major pumping stations of Lahore
discharging wastewater into River Ravi is given in Table 1.1.
1







1
!lCA, 2010, 1he preparaLory sLudy on Lahore waLer supply, sewerage and dralnage lmprovemenL pro[ecL ln
aklsLan, !lCA reporL WASA Lahore reporL no.24, pp-3-48.

10


Table 1.1 List of major disposal stations with discharging capacity into River Ravi
Sr.
No
Name of the disposal station Discharge Capacity

m
3
/s (Cusec)
1 Farukhabad drain 5.13 m
3
/s (181 cusec)
2 Mehmood Booti 6.36 m
3
/s (224 cusec)
3 Shad Bagh 6.78 m
3
/s (240 cusec)
4 Khokhar Road 4.77 m
3
/s (168 cusec)
5 Bhatti Gate 2.84 m
3
/s (100 cusec)
6 Main outfall-1 5.13 m
3
/s (181 cusec)
7 Main outfall-2 2.90 m
3
/s (102 cusec)
8 Main outfall-3 2.47 m
3
/s (87 cusec)
9 Gulshan-e-Ravi 15.86 m
3
/s (560 cusec)
10 Multan road 6.78 m
3
/s (240 cusec)
11 LMP Block, Model Town
Extension
3.55 m
3
/s (125 cusec)
12 Nishtar Colony 3.15 m
3
/s (111 cusec)

A Writ petition was submitted in the Green Bench of Lahore High Court on the issues of
discharge of untreated municipal and industrial wastewater into the River Ravi by Public
Interest Litigation Association of Pakistan (PILAP), PELA and LCS. In the writ, it was
stated that major disposal of wastewater in the River Ravi occurs in the 84 kilometers
reach of the river between the Ravi Siphon and the Balloki Headworks. During this
reach, the River Ravi receives municipal as well as industrial wastewater of 15 drains
from Lahore and Shahdara.

As a response of writ petition, Lahore High Court made a Commission for reviving the
ecology of River Ravi. The Commission is working under the chairmanship of Dr.
Kauser A. Malik and has members from the provincial Government Departments (EPD,
WASA etc.), representatives from non-government organizations and technical experts

Report of River Ravi Commission sub-committee 11
for the solution of controlling the pollution in River Ravi with some practical and feasible
solutions using indigenous technologies (Notification is attached as Annex 1). In the
second meeting of River Ravi Commission held on 30
th
July 2012 at EPD Committee
room, the Committee was informed that some practices are going on to take care the
pollution in Islamabad and Faisalabad. It was decided in the meeting to make a Sub-
Committee of technical experts who would visit the sites for the possible solution of
treatment of water discharging into River Ravi and submit a report.
The members of sub-committee of River Ravi Commission are:
i. Mr. Shakeel Ahmad Kashmiri, Director (WWT), WASA, Lahore
ii. Mr. Ali Abbas, Deputy Director Labs, EPD, Punjab
iii. Mr. Syed Nihal Asghar, Director, SEAL, Lahore
iv. Mr. Asim Mahmood, Director, GEL, Lahore
v. Mr. Sohail Ali Naqvi, Coordinator, WWF Pakistan, Lahore
vi. Dr. Ejaz Ahmad, Senior Director, WWF Pakistan, Lahore
The TORs of the sub-committee were developed under the discussion in the meeting of
RRC at EPD, Lahore.
To see the feasibility of the on-going waste water treatment options at Islamabad
(Bio-remediation plant, Constructed Wetland) and Faisalabad (Waste
Stabilization Pond) its application in Lahore by
a) Having site visits in Islamabad and Faisalabad and probe in detail the
different aspects for setting up such a facility at River Ravi
b) Based on the findings shall recommend a demonstration site for Lahore
According to the TORs, the sub-committee visited two sites to see Bio-remediation at
NARC, Islamabad on August 02, 2012 and Waste Stabilization Plant (WSP) at
Faisalabad on August 07, 2012. After the visit numerous meetings of the sub-committee
were held. For site selection for the development of a Constructed Wetland at River
Ravi, a visit to Babu Sabu was also made on August 18, 2012 and a possible site of 50
Acres has been identified.





12

2. Field Visits
The details of the observations of these visits are as under
2.1 Visit to Constructed Wetlands at NARC

Constructed Wetlands: Generally wetlands are of three types: i- Natural Wetland, ii-
Aquaculture Wetland, and iii- Constructed Wetlands

Constructed wetlands are man-made wetlands used to remove various types of
pollutants present in wastewater passing through this system. They are constructed to
recreate the structure and functions of natural wetlands. They possess a rich microbial
community to effect the biochemical transformation of pollutants; they are biologically
productive and most important they are self-sustaining.

Bioremediation is the use of micro-organism metabolism, plants and enzymes to
remove pollutants from the water.
There are two sites where bioremediation techniques have been adopted at NARC. A
smaller site is called as Bioremediation Garden and a larger site is known as
Bioremediation Orchards. A field visit for both sites at NARC, Islamabad was arranged
by WWF on August 02, 2012.
2.1.1 Experimental site (Bioremediation Garden)
The Bioremediation Garden covers an area of about 1579 m
2
(0.39 acres) and has
various components described as follows:
a. Source of wastewater: At the experimental site, the wastewater comes from the
residential areas, hostels, mosques and laboratories etc. This wastewater is stored at
the septic tank where some bacteria are added as inoculums and after pumping it is
sent to the experimental site for bioremediation.


Report of River Ravi Commission sub-committee 13

Fig.1 Bioremediation at the NARC Garden Fig.2 Aquaculture wetland at NARC Garden


Fig.3 Color of water after treatement Fig.4 Water Lettuce for the bioremediation

b. Construction of Wetland: The plots are lined with polyethylene sheets to prevent
wastewater from leaching into groundwater. On these sheets a layer of soil (1 ft),
gravels, sands are placed for making a proper constructed wetland. After the
construction it is populated by native wetland plants to aid in waste water treatment.

In the wetlands there are 7 plots (1 constructed wetland) where different types of plants
have been introduced for the treatment of wastewater i.e. Water lettuce, Duckweed,
Penny water etc. The total water storage of these plots is 1000.39 m
3
and total area is
1579 m
2
.

14



Fig.5: Schematic diagram of Experimental Bioremediation Garden at NARC

c. Usage of treated wastewater: After the treatment this treated wastewater is used for
the irrigation purposes by the sprinkler irrigation. This water is used to irrigate 1.42 ha
(3.5 acres) area by sprinkler irrigations in 5 lines.
2.1.2 Visit to Bioremediation Orchards
Bioremediation is a larger unit and has more capacity as compare to the Bioremediation
Garden. The technical specifications of bioremediation orchards are as follows:
Area = 2.84 ha
Hydraulic retention time = 7days
Daily water intake = 0.65 Million US Gallons (86,920 ft
3
/d) = 2,463 m
3
/day
Storage capacity = 4.69 Million US Gallons (0.63 Million ft
3
) = 17,775 m
3

Total construction cost = 3.5 Million Rs.

a. Sources of Wastewater: The wastewater was coming from Shahzad Town, a
residential colonies of 300 households. Every house has its own septic tank from where
this wastewater comes through lined channel into the inlet of Sedimentation tank.

b. Sedimentation Tank: There are two sedimentation tanks for the removal of TSS
(Total Suspended Solids). The purpose of these sedimentation tanks is biodegradation
of organic material and removal of TSS. Each tank is 8ft deep and bacteria are inserted
as inoculums in these tanks. Numerous grasses and vegetation was growing at the
sedimentation tank. After this treatment, water is sent to the wetlands. In these

Report of River Ravi Commission sub-committee 13
sedimentation tanks LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene) sheets has been placed at base
to avoid the seepage and leaching effects. The remaining solid waste from
sedimentation tank is rich in nutrients and can be used as compost.

c. Constructed Wetlands: There are 6 plots for the treatment of wastewater at NARC
Bioremediation Orchard site. A large number of plants (Approx. 25,000) have been
placed in these wetlands and major species of these plants present in this area are
Water Lettuce, Penny worth and Vetiver Grass etc.

The water enters in the plantation area through field nakkas. After this plot water enters
into detention ponds below the brick constructed underground wall (1.7 m). So the water
enters into the plots through underground pipes. The hydraulic retention time of water is
7 days.

d. Usage of Treated Water: After treatment this water is used for the irrigation
purposes. This water is also beneficial for the crops as well as for the groundwater
recharge.



Fig.6 A view of Bioremediation Orchards at NARC


16


Fig.7 Inlet watercourse for the treatment into
NARC orchard
Fig.8 Sedimentation tank at NARC Orchard

Fig.9 Plantation area for different species of
plants
Fig.10 Constructed wetlands (Water Lettuce)

Report of River Ravi Commission sub-committee 17

Fig.11 Color of treated water Fig.12 Treated water flowing (Within NEQS)

2.2. Visit to Waste Stabilization Ponds, Faisalabad
Stabilization ponds consist of shallow man-made basins comprising a single or several
series of anaerobic, facultative or maturation ponds. The primary treatment takes place
in the anaerobic pond, which is mainly designed for removing suspended solids, and
some of the soluble element of organic matter (BOD). During the secondary stage in the
facultative pond most of the remaining BOD is removed through the coordinated activity
of algae and heterotrophic bacteria.
2


A field visit was arranged by WWF with the help of EPD on 7
th
August 2012 for
Faisalabad to see the Waste Stabilization Ponds (WSP) at Achokera site in Faisalabad
for the sewage (70%) and industrial (30%) wastewater treatment. The WSP (Waste
Stabilization Ponds) plants construction was completed in year 1998 with total cost of
approx. 450 Million Rs. The total area for this WSP is 202.4 hectares (500 Acres). There
are 6 anaerobic ponds and 6 Facultative ponds in this arrangement.

a. Screen Chamber: It is the first step of pretreatment of wastewater. There are 3
screen chambers in this system and the water comes inside these chambers with an
average flow of 10,201 m
3
/hr (100 cusec). Each screen chamber consists of grit bars
(5.8 m) for the removal of solid waste from the wastewater. The waste from these bars
is collected manually and these bars move up and down with an angle.
A Schematic diagram of the waste stabilization ponds is given below as Fig 13:


2
hLLp://en.wlklpedla.org/wlkl/SLablllzaLlon_pond

18


Fig.13: Schematic diagram of WSP at Faisalabad



Report of River Ravi Commission sub-committee 19
Fig.14 Wastewater inlet into Screen chamber Fig.15 Grid bars for the solids removal


Fig.16 Flow meter for flow measuring in
chambers
Fig.17 Grit removal chamber

Fig.18 Inlet channel for anaerobic ponds Fig.19 Water collection chamber from lined
channel

20


Fig. 20 Sludge ponds Fig.21 Anaerobic pond

b. Pumping Stations: After passing through the grit chamber, the wastewater enters
into pumping stations. There are 6 pumps in the station for pumping wastewater into the
anaerobic ponds. Each pump has a capacity of 2550 m
3
/hr (25 cusec) discharge.
c. Anaerobic Ponds: The wastewater comes into anaerobic ponds through lined
trapezoidal channel having 2.4 m (7.9 ft) top width with 1 m (3.28 ft) depth. The purpose
of anaerobic ponds is settling of some waste as well as biodegradation of organic
waste. There are 6 anaerobic ponds. The wastewater comes into these ponds through
the channel and is equally distributed into these ponds i.e. 100 cusec wastewater is
divided into 6 ponds equally. Then after a Hydraulic Retention Time (HRT) of 24 hrs this
treated water goes into facultative ponds. The area of 2 anaerobic ponds is approx.
17,954 m
2
(4.4 acres) each and approx. total area of anaerobic ponds is 12.15 ha (30
acres).
d. Facultative ponds: Water from the anaerobic ponds flows into the oxidation or
facultative ponds through the drains. In these ponds, additional settling of solids and
biological treatment of organic matter in the water occurs. Some of the fecal coliforms in
the water are also removed. There are 6 facultative ponds in WSP at Achokera plant.
The water from anaerobic ponds enters into Facultative Pond No-1 and after retention
time enters into Pond-2 and then finally into Pond-3. From Pond-3 it discharges into
field for irrigation purposes or into the Paharang drain. The other three ponds 4, 5 & 6
were designed for the backup when more wastewater comes or during de-silting of the
first three ponds the wastewater could be moved towards these ponds. But in actual
practice those all six ponds are in working conditions. The total hydraulic retention time
of this WSP plant is 19-20 days.

Report of River Ravi Commission sub-committee 21
e. Sludge Ponds: These are ponds where the sludge from the ponds will be dried and
then can be used as compost or for agriculture manure. The designed life of Waste
stabilization Ponds for sludging is approx. 30 years so no sludge is found in these
ponds.


Fig.22 Facultative ponds Fig.23 Facultative pond No. 2

f. Usage of treated water: The treated water is used for the irrigation purposes in the
nearby areas. Unfortunately because of unawareness the farmers prefer to use
untreated wastewater for their crops which is very risky as in the untreated wastewater
about 30% industrial effluents also included which is hazardous to the public health. The
overflow water from the ponds is also discharged into the Paharang drain which should
be utilized in other ways instead of making part of industrial effluents present in the
drain.


Fig.24 Treated water discharge into Paharang
drain
Fig.25 Incomplete infrastructure for water
uplifting

22


Fig.26 Untreated water used for Agriculture Fig.27 Treated water used for Agriculture


Report of River Ravi Commission sub-committee 23

3. Results and Discussion
3.1 Characteristics of treated wastewater from Constructed Wetlands, NARC,
Islamabad

Water samples were taken from different points of the Bioremediation Garden and were
tested in the GEL Lahore (Global Environmental Laboratory) for the analysis of pollution
parameters like BOD, COD, TSS and TDS etc. the results of these tests are as below in
Table 3.1.

It was observed that after the treatment of wetlands the water quality falls within NEQS
at the Bioremediation Garden site of NARC (experimental site). TDS was removed from
450 mg/l to 310 mg/l. The COD was found 61 mg/l and at the outlet of the
Bioremediation Garden COD was 44 mg/l.

Table 3.1 a :Report of water sample analysis from Bioremediation Garden, NARC,
Islamabad

Sr.
No.
Parameters Concentration (mg/l)
Garden 1 Garden 2 Garden 3
1 pH 7.8 7.5 7.6
2 TSS 17 86 67
3 TDS 450 410 310
4 Chloride 16.4 12.8 7.0
5 BOD 28 44 20
6 COD 61 93 44

According to the above results it is stated that the pollution load is reduced with
bioremediation techniques by using aquaculture and constructed wetlands. The
pollution load of BOD, COD falls within NEQS.


24


Fig. 28. Water sampling points at Bioremediation Garden, NARC, Islamabad
At Bioremediation Orchard, NARC, Islamabad: After the treatment of constructed
wetlands, the treated water falls within permissible limits (NEQS). The TDS falls from
660 mg/l to 530 mg/l. The BOD falls from 248 mg/l to 43 mg/l and the COD falls from
590 mg/l to 56 mg/l. So from the results it is seen that about 83% BOD and 86% COD
are removed efficiently from Orchard-1 to Orchard-2, while after Orchard-4 about 90% &
89% of BOD and COD are removed respectively which shows the performance of
working wetland is very high. Similarly TSS removal efficiency from Orchard-1 to
Orchard-2 is 70 % while after orchard-4 this removal is 88%.

Table 3.1 b: Report of water sample analysis from Bioremediation Orchards,
NARC, Islamabad

Sr. No. Parameter Concentration (mg/l)
Orchard 1 Orchard 2 Orchard 3 Orchard 4
1 pH 7.6 7.7 7.6 8.0
2 TSS 264 79 48 33

Report of River Ravi Commission sub-committee 23
3 TDS 660 640 650 530
4 Chloride 16.6 5.0 39.6 34.4
5 BOD 248 43 26 25
6 COD 509 92 57 56


Fig.29. Water sampling points at Bioremediation Orchard, NARC, Islamabad

3.2 Characteristics of Treated water from Waste Stabilization Ponds,
Faisalabad
The wastewater samples were taken by Environment Protection Department (EPD),
Government of Punjab and samples were tested in EPD laboratory Lahore. The results
in table 3.2 show that the wastewater before treatment and after treatment is unfit for
irrigation purposes and quality parameters (BOD, COD, sulfides) do not fall within
NEQS. Although TDS and TSS were removed 26% and 70% respectively but still
Sulphides are very high in the treated water i.e. 4mg/l. The BOD and COD values
before treatment were found 196 and 459 mg/l respectively. After treatment with a

26

series of anaerobic and facultative ponds the BOD and COD values were found 88 and
215 mg/l which are higher than the NEQS values. The TSS removal efficiency was
found 70% which is satisfactory but the removal efficiencies of BOD and COD after a
series of treatment are 55% and 53% respectively which is less efficient as compared to
the constructed wetlands. There were a few shortcomings found in the Waste
Stabilization Ponds. The main drawback is more land requirement in WSP than any
other treatment and these Ponds consume more time to obtain the desired results.

Table 3.2: Report of Waste Water samples analysis collected from WASA treatment plant Chakera,
Faisalabad (Date of sample collection: August 07, 2012)
Sr.
No #
Description Temp. pH BOD
mg/l
COD
mg/l
TDS
mg/l
TSS
mg/l
Cl
-1

mg/l
SO
4
-2

mg/l
Sulfide
mg/l
Remarks
NEQS 6-9 80 150 3500 200 1000 600 1.0
1
Before
Treatment
28 6.7
196
459 2520 200 730 460 12
BOD,COD
and
Sulfide
not within
NEQS
limits
2
Before
Treatment
Use For Agri.
Purpose
28 6.9
144
326 2100 200 600 315 04
-do-
3
From
Anaerobic
Pond No.1
30 6.9
156
370 2160 90 585 272 08
-do-
4
From
Anaerobic
Pond No.4
30 6.9
132
304 2060 80 600 288 04
-do-
5
From
Facultative
Pond No.1
30 6.9
122
280 2220 140 625 333 04
-do-
6
From
Facultative
Pond No.2
28 6.9
118
288 2130 80 615 246 08
-do-
7
From
Facultative
Pond No.3
30 7.1
94
230 2230 80 635 318 04
-do-
8
From
Facultative
30 6.9
102
226 2140 90 630 308 04
-do-

Report of River Ravi Commission sub-committee 27
Pond No.4
9
From
Facultative
Pond No.5
30 6.9
102
228 2140 80 625 258 04
-do-
10
After Treatment
(Effluent)
28 6.9
88
215 1870 60 565 224 04
-do-

4. Conclusions

On the basis of above discussions (field visits and water analysis) it is concluded that
the Constructed Wetlands are more beneficial for the removal of organic loadings as
compared to Waste Stabilization Ponds. From the water analysis of both sites, it is
shown that in Constructed Wetlands, BOD and COD removal is 83% & 86%
respectively from first plot to 2
nd
plot while in WSP after a series of anaerobic ponds and
facultative ponds the COD removal efficiency is only 55%. The area required for the
treatment of wastewater is dependent on the BOD loading of wastewater. On the basis
of above results it is estimated that in the Constructed Wetlands for the treatment of 1
cusec discharge approximately 0.8-1.0 ha (2-2.5 acres) area is required.
On the basis of site visits and above results it is recommended that for Lahore City
Bioremediation Technology is better suited and feasible with Constructed Wetlands,
aquaculture and microorganism consortia. The constructed wetlands have following
advantages:
Aesthetics and have tourism potential
Environment friendly
Cost effective and can generate resources
Easy to use
Rehabilitation of natural resources

However there are some limitations of Constructed Wetlands as well which are as
follows:

Time Taking
Acceptability

Although the Waste Stabilization Ponds are effective for reducing pollution load from the
wastewater but it has many limitations i.e. more land required than any other treatment

28

(approx. 2.02 ha for 1 cusec discharge). In Lahore City, mostly area is covered by the
dense population so the area for the treatment required is not easily available and high
capital cost is also required for the purchase of land for the treatment. In comparison
with Constructed Wetlands, the BOD loading results are more satisfactory than waste
stabilization ponds results. So for the Lahore city, Wetlands are more suitable for the
wastewater treatment as compared to stabilization ponds. In these wetlands
combination of aquaculture, microbial consortia and constructed wetlands will be more
helpful for the removal of pollution than WSP. So bioremediation technology does not
require any electricity or power but once it is started, after 3 months it gives results and
after 3 years it becomes mature and works naturally.

5. Recommendations
5.1 Demonstration Project of Bioremediation for Lahore
Based on our visits and water sample analysis it is recommended that the Commission
shall suggest water treatment of River Ravi by using the Constructed Wetlands option. It
is also recommended that support from NARC shall be explored.
As per information provided by the Revenue Department, approximately 54,927 Kanal
of land is government owned property along the River Ravi in Lahore. The large land
area is available at Rakh Shahdara near Mehmood Booti (6000 Kanals). WASA has
also acquired about 370 ha (7300 Kanals) area for the wastewater treatment at Babu
Sabu.
A site visit to Babu Sabu was arranged by WASA and the site was visited by sub-
committee. The general GPS survey of the site was surveyed by GIS staff of WWF-
Pakistan and SEAL Laboratory. At the area a pumping station is discharging approx.
105 cusec wastewater on average basis.
The sub-committee also visited a site at Babu Sabu and was of the opinion that for the
wastewater treatment a 50 acre piece of land shall be allocated at Babu Sabu where
WASA has land of approximately 7300 Kanals (912 acres) for the wastewater
treatment. A Demonstration Constructed Wetlands should be established there on
experimental basis for discharge capacity of about 10 Cusec.

Report of River Ravi Commission sub-committee 29


Fig.30 Wastewater passing through nallah after
pumpage
Fig.31 Flood protection bund on WASA land

Fig.32 Naturally grown wetlands in wastewater Fig.33 Agriculture on WASA acquired land


On the basis of NARC Bioremediation Plants and WSP at Faisalabad, it is assumed that
1 cusec wastewater requires 0.81 hectares land for treatment. So on this basis land
required at Babu Sabu will be approx.20.24 ha (50 Acres) depending on the species
introduced for the waste reduction. A site has been selected for the establishment of
Bioremediation Plants by the sub-committee and the topography of the selected site is

30

plain with little slope. By GPS survey, it is observed that the elevation of the selected
site is 189 to 205 m. The fig.35 shows the map of the site with elevations with
dark(Comparatively low elevation) and light colours (comparatively high elevation). The
red line in the below map shows the boundary of the land acquired by WASA for the
treatment and the white line shows the site selected for the Bioremediation Plant by the
sub-committee as shown in fig. 34 &fig.35.
The bio-remediation plant should be installed with proper designing of constructed
wetlands, aquaculture plants, microbial consortia, etc. and it should be introduced after
brief socio-economic and environmental surveys of the area by the experts.


Report of River Ravi Commission sub-committee 31

Fig. 34 Map of the site proposed for Bioremediation at Babu Sabu


32


Fig.35 Elevation of the proposed site at Babu Sabu

5.2 Cost Estimation of the Demonstration Plant
The wetlands consist of a series of ponds i.e aerobic ponds, anaerobic ponds, wetlands,
facultative ponds and clean water ponds.
The material used for the construction of wetlands is geo-membrane, soil, boulders,
bricks etc. The BOQ for the site is as under
On the basis of NARC constructed wetlands of 1 cusec, the land and cost required for
the ponds at Babu Sabu is as under.
3



3
1he land area and cosL esLlmaLlon of nA8C Crchard ls provlded by nA8C. Cn Lhe basls of daLa cosL esLlmaLlon for
8abu Sabu has been esLlmaLed. 1he cosL esLlmaLe ls LenLaLlve whlch may vary ln real grounds.

Report of River Ravi Commission sub-committee 33
Table. 5.1 The land and cost estimation for the construction of ponds
Area of NARC for
1 cusec
Construction cost
for NARC
Area of Babu
Sabu for 10 cusec
Construction Cost
for Babu Sabu for
10 cusec
Sedimentation ponds
(2 nos.)
3887 m
2

(0.96 acres)
Rs. 731,850 38870 m
2

(9.6 acres)
Rs. 7,318,500
Constructed wetland
(1 No.)
1620 m
2

(0.40 acres)
Rs. 350,000 16,200 m
2

(4 acres)
Rs. 3,500,000
Anaerobic & Aerobic
pond
9717 m
2

(2.40 acres)
Rs. 1,914,375 97,170 m
2

(24 acres)
Rs. 19,143,750
Facultative pond (2
Nos.)
3644 m
2
(0.90
acres)
Rs. 546,500 36,440 m
2
(9
acres)
Rs. 5,465,000
Clean water pond (1
No.)
2915 m
2
(0.72
acres)
Rs. 722,600 29,150 m
2
(7.2
acres)
Rs. 7,226,000
Total Area 4.26 Million Rs. 42.65 Million Rs.
Note: The cost of nursery, building and laboratory is not included in the table above.
The approx. material required for constructed wetlands is as under
4

Table. 5.2 The material required for the constructed wetlands
Material 4 acre constructed wetland
Geo-membrane 2.06 ha

(222,222 ft
2
)
Soil 2,426 m
3
(85,624 ft
3
)
Boulders 7,279 m
3
(256,872 ft
3
)
Bricks 4,853 m
3
(171,248 ft
3
)
Crush 4,076 m
3
(143,848 ft
3
)
Sand 2426 m
3
(

85,624 ft
3
)
Crush 3,251 m
3
(114,736 ft
3
)


4
1he maLerlal esLlmaLlon for 1 acre land has been esLlmaLed on Lhe basls of daLa provlded of Lhe nA8C garden for
0.39 acres.

34

Plastic Mesh 1.59 ha (171,248 ft
2
)


Report of River Ravi Commission sub-committee 33
Annexure-1
Form No: HCJD/C-121
ORDER SHEET IN THE LAHORE HIGH COURT LAHORE
JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT W.P. No. 9137/2012
The Public Interest Litigation Association
of Pakistan, etc.
Versus The Government of the
Punjab, etc.

S.No. of order/
Proceeding
Date of order/
Proceeding
Order with signature of Judge/Custodian and
that of parties or counsel, where necessary

05 08.06.2012 Mr. Ahmad Rafay Alam, Advocate for the petitioners.
Khawaja Salman Mahmood, Assistant Advocate General, Punjab.
Mr. Zubda tul Hussain, Advocate for respondent WASA.
M/s. Saima Khawaja and Nusrat Jahan Nabeela, Amici Curiae.
Mr. Ali Habib, WWF
Mr. Shakeel Ahmad Kashimiri, Director (WWT), WASA.
Mr. Falak Sher Malik, Deputy Director Legal WASA.
Mr. Kashif Mushtaq Warraich, Senior Law Officer, Industries
Department.
Mr. Azhar Hussain, D.O. (E&IP) Lahore.
Mr. Shah Faisal Aziz, Assistant Director Legal, LG&CD
Department, Govt. of the Punjab, Lahore.

C.M. No.2407/2012
In order to effectively proceed further in the matter, all the parties are in agreement that a
Commission be constituted to investigate into the issues raised in this petition and propose a
sustainable road map for restoring the natural ecology of River Ravi.
I. CONSTITUTION OF RIVER RAVI COMMISSION

2. River Ravi Commission is hereby constituted under Order 26 CPC, comprising the
following members:-
1. Dr. Kosar Abdullah Malik Chairperson
2. Managing Director, WASA. Member
3. Mr. Ashtar Ausaf Ali Member
Advocate General, Punjab.

2 W.P.No.9137/2012

4. The Secretary, EPD Member, Govt. of the Punjab.

36

5. Nominee of the Member
Lahore Chamber of Commerce To be appointed by the President Of the said Chamber
6. Commissioner Member, Lahore Division, Lahore
7. Mr. Vaqar Zakria Member (Environmental Expert)
8. Mr. Anjum Altaf Member (Economist)
9. Mr. Ali Habib Member Director General WWF Pakistan
10. Mr. Kamil Khan Mumtaz Member (Petitioner)
11. Mr. Ahmad Rafay Alam Member(Advocate/Counsel for the petitioners)
II. TERMS OF REFERENCE OF RIVER RAVI COMMISSION:-
3. Terms of reference of River Ravi Commission are as follows:-
Objective of Commission:
To restore the natural ecology of the River Ravi in the reach area.
Terms of Reference:
a) To map the hydrological and pollution characteristics of the River Ravi and effluent
discharging drain along the reach area and to identify the pollutants and polluters therein;
b) To establish a river flow and quality model, inter alia, identifying and characterizing drains
and profiling
3 W.P.No.9137/2012
seasonal characteristics of the River Ravi and effluent discharge drains;
c) To propose a pollution and effluent discharge reduction strategy, which shall include;
(i) Cost effective and practical engineering solutions;
(ii) Proposals regarding appropriate governance and management systems for operation of
sewage treatment facilities; and
(iii) Related institutional changes and financial strategy;
III. POWER OF THE COMMISSION

a) The above Commission shall enjoy the powers under Order 26 of the CPC in order to achieve
the objective of the Commission..
b) The Commission shall have the power to co-opt any person/expert, at any stage.
c) The Commission can seek assistance of any Provincial Government Department by
approaching the concerned department in writing and the concerned Departments are hereby
directed to render full assistance to the Commission in respect of the above Terms of Reference.

IV. QUORUM OF THE COMMISSION
The quorum of the Commission shall be five which shall include the Chairperson.
V. SECRETARIAT OF THE COMMISSION:
The seat of the Commission shall be the office of the Secretary EPD with the flexibility to use
the office of Director General WWF, Lahore, if required by the Commission.
4 W.P.No.9137/2012

37


VI. EXPENSES OF THE COMMISSION:
(a) Secretarial expenses of the Commission shall be borne by the EPD. WWF has undertaken to
supplement the secretarial expenses of EPD. The Commission shall develop a workable ratio in this
regard.
(b) All the field trips and transport expenses will be borne by the Members themselves.
(c) The Commission may approach this court at any stage to seek appropriate orders for facilitation of
their work.

VII. INTERIM REPORT
The Commission shall file an interim report on the progress made within two months from today.
4. To come up for hearing on 21.09.2012.
(Syed Mansoor Ali Shah)
Judge