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Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) Islamabad |
The Water Management, Desertification and Water Quality Sections of the Centre
are responsible for conducting, coordinating, monitoring and reporting the research and development
activities, in their respective disciplines, being executed at Islamabad and Rgional Outfits
(Lahore, Bhawalpur, Tandojam, Quetta, Peshawer). The facilities available at the PCRWR, Islamabad,
to support the research and development activities are as under.
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Facilities
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National Water Quality Laboratory (NWQL) |
The water quality laboratory of PCRWR was designated as National Water Quality Laboratory (NWQL),
on July, 5,2005, when Mr. Shukat Aziz, Prime Minister of Pakistan inaugurated its new building, at
PCRWR Headquarters Islamabad, The NWQL is a premier laboratory of water quality in Pakistan. In a short
span of time, it has established itself as a centre of excellence in water quality management by upgrading
its infrastructure and improving the quality of scientific manpower. It has the capacity to analyze more than
116 water quality parameters (drinking, irrigation and waste water) and is fully capable to support industry,
research institutes and universities in this area. The NWQL has three main sections i.e. Microbiology Section,
Chemical Analysis Section and Wastewater Analysis Section.
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Analysis Capability
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Alkalinity, Aluminum, Ammonia, Antimony, Arsenic, Barium, Beryllium, Bicarbonate, Bismuth, Biological
Oxygen Demand (BOD, Boron, Bromine, Cadmium, Calcium, Carbon, Carbonate, Cerium, Chloride, Chromium,
Cobalt, Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Colour, Conductivity, Copper, Dissolved Oxygen (DO), Dysprosium,
Erbium, Europium, Fluoride, Free Chlorine, Free CO2, Gadolinium, Gallium, Germanium, Gold, Hafnium, Hardness,
Holmium, Indium, Iodide, Iridium, Iron, Lanthanum, Lead, Lithium, Lutetium, Magnesium, Manganese, Mercury,
Molybdenum, Neodymium, Nickel, Niobium, Nitrate (N), Nitrite (as NO2), Nitrogen, Odour, Osmium, Palladium,
pH, Phosphate, Phosphorus, Platinum, Potassium, Praseodymium, Rhodium, Rubidium, Ruthenium, Samarium,
Scandium, Selenium, Silicon, Silver, Sodium, Strontium, Sulphate, Sulphur, Suspended Solids, Tantalum,
Taste, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Tellurium, Terbium, Thallium, Thorium, Thulium, Tin, Titanium,
Total Chlorine, Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Tungsten, Turbidity, Uranium, Vanadium, Ytterbium, Yttrium,
Zinc, Zirconium, , Pesticides, Persistent Organic Pollutants, Oil and Grease, Silica, Total Organic Carbon,
Total Coliforms, Fecal Coliforms, E. Coli, Total Plate Count, Yeasts and Moulds, Salmonella, Algae
(114 parameters). After the ISO-17025 accreditation of National Water Quality Laboratory, Islamabad,
the first surveillance audit was conducted in January 2008. The laboratory has achieved the continuation
of accreditation of 26 water quality parameters after the successful survillence audit of the Laboratory
Quality System.
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Geographic Information System (GIS), Hydrological Modeling Centre
(HMC) and Water Resources Databank (WRDB) at PCRWR, Islamabad
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The Council has successfully established Geographic Information System (GIS) Hydrologic Modeling Centre (HMC)
and Water Resources Databank (WRDB) at PCRWR Headquarters, Islamabad. The activities being carried out under
these components are as under.
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Geographical Information System (GIS)/ Remote Sensing (RS) Centre:
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GIS is a system of hardware, software and procedures to facilitate the management, manipulation,
analysis, modeling, representation and display of spatial data to solve complex problems regarding
planning and management of resources. Whereas Remote Sensing is a group of techniques for collecting
image or other forms of data about an object from measurements made at a distance from the object,
and the processing and analysis of the data. GIS/RS Centre is now completely established that include
state-of-the-art equipments, professionals and inter-alia latest GIS/RS softwares that are being used
to manage, visualize and analyze the homogeneous/heterogeneous spatial datasets and subsequently results
/ recommendations are disseminated to concerned authorities.
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Hydrological Modeling Centre (HMC)
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Hydrological Modeling is the assessment, monitoring and prediction analysis of surface and groundwater
resources. The interdisciplinary nature of water resource problems requires the integration of technical,
economic, environmental, social, and legal aspects into a coherent analytical framework. With increasing
competition for water across sectors and regions, the river basin has been recognized as the appropriate
unit of analysis for addressing the challenges of water resources management. Modeling at this scale can
provide essential information for policymakers in their resource allocation decisions. The Hydrological
Modeling Centre is fully equipped with latest modeling tools and softwares. The facilities would help in
conducting research activities in areas of waterlogging, salinization, groundwater mining, water pollution
and flood forecasting.
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Water Resources Databank (NWRDB)
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Water resources databank is the repository of multiple datasets in an organized manner to be retrieved for
further analysis. National Water Resources Databank (NWRDB) portal has been developed to incorporate climatic,
agricultural, hydrological, hydrogeological and population datasets. These datasets have been collected from the
relevant Government organizations and are being feed into Databank through specially designed data entry forms.
The Databank will facilitate with the primary datasets for in house research activities as well as will be
available online to the individuals, institutions and organizations involved in water resources research
activities.
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Publication and Information (P&I) Section |
Major functions of the section are to collect process and disseminate national information related to water
resources through library, databank services, and regular / occasional publications published by PCRWR
and other organizations. The Section has developed information linkages with the national and international
organizations, carrying out research and development activities in the field of water resources.
There are three sub-sections of P & I, which provide the following facilitates in order to support the research
and development activities of PCRWR:
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Library
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A collection of more than ten thousand books, journals proceedings and
technical / research reports on
water resources and related fields are available in the library.
The main function of the library is to provide
standard library services to engineers, scientists,
researchers and policy makers working in the field of
water resources;
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Data Bank
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There are more than 15000 bibliographic records available pertaining to the library collection of PCRWR and
its outfits as well as WAPDA Directorates, Centre of Excellence in Water Resources Engineering Lahore,
Irrigation Research Institute Lahore, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, University of Agriculture,
Peshawar etc.
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Publication
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Information is disseminated through publishing of regular and occasional publications of PCRWR such as
newsletter, journal, research/technical reports, books, manuals, annual reports and proceedings of the
seminars/ workshops etc.
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Research Team
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Sr.#
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Name & Designation
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Qualification |
Specialization |
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1
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Dr. Muhammad Aslam Tahir
Chairman |
Ph. D. Chemistry M.Sc. Chemistry M.Sc. PGD (S&T) |
Water Quality Monitoring, Assessment, Management &
Technology Development. |
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2 |
Mr. Saeed Javed
Secretary |
M.Sc. (Agri Economics) |
Project Planning, Monitoring & Evaluation Socio-Economic Studies and Administration. |
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3 |
Ch. Muhammad Akram
DG (Desertification Control) |
MSc. (Hons) Agri |
Planning,
Management and Implementation of Soil, Water,Vegetation, Desertification assessment, Mapping, Monitoring and control.
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4 |
Engr. Muhammad Azam
Director (PMT)
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M.E. (Water Resources)B.Sc. (Agri.Engg.)
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Water Resources Management
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5 |
Dr. A.D. Khan
Director (GWM/GIS)
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Ph.D(Hydrology)
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Hydrology, Rainwater Harvesting
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Mrs. Lubna Naheed Bukhari
Director (LDIC) |
M.Sc. Bio-Chemistry
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Pesticide Residue Analysis and Documentation
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7 |
Mrs. Hifza Rasheed
Deputy Director
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M. Phil (Microbiology)
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Water Quality Assessment and Management
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8 |
Mr. Faizan-ul-Hasan
Deputy Director
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MSc. Water Resources & Irrigation Engineering |
Water Resources and Irrigation Engineering
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Services Available
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- Library and bibliographic database
- GIS / Hydrologic Monitoring
- Water quality (drinking, irrigation and waste water) testing and advisory
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R&D Activities |
Major Development Projects Completed
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- Construction of Headquarters Building and Research Laboratories of PCRWR.
- Impact Assessment of Sewerage and Industrial Effluents On Human Health,
Water Resources And Agriculture Productivity in Faisalabad
- Establishing Geographical Information System (GIS), Hydrological
Modelling Centre, and Water Resources Databank.
- National Water Quality Monitoring Programme
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Major Research Studies Completed (Non Development)
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Water Management |
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Impact Evaluation of Water Resources Development in the Command
Areas of Small Dams (July 2002 to June 2003, sponsored by Pakistan Science Foundation)
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Government of the Punjab has constructed 31 small dams in Pothwar Region for water
storage for agriculture and other uses. These dams however, are subject to huge
evaporation losses due to which, significant amount of water is lost without ay use.
Since the cost of water storage in small dams is very high (about 4 to 7 times greater
than large dams), therefore it is imperative that the stored water should be used
judiciously and efficiently. The effective utilization of these dams can bring green
revolution in the area. The study was conducted at three dams namely: Jawa, Kasala
and Dhok Sanday Mar. After the construction of these dams, the land use and crop
intensities, and crop yield have increased many folds. There is a shift of cropping
pattern from the traditional cropping towards high valued crops, owing to availability
of water. The water has become accessible for pumping due to which a number of dug wells
have increased. This has reduced drudgery on the local inhabitants particularly women,
who had to fetch water from far away for their domestic uses. An analysis of the dams’
inflow-outflow shows that inflow is sufficient to irrigate the command area, if properly
managed, more area could be irrigated with the same infrastructure / existing facilities
and with the same availability of water. Nevertheless, there are several bottlenecks in
the full utilization of these dams including: (i) illegal water cutting (ii)
non-existence/non-functional water user associations (iii) improper maintenance of
watercourses (iv) broken outlets (moghas) (v) poor field channels (vi) lack of
agricultural support services etc. Well co-ordinated efforts by Small Dams Organization
(SDO), Agriculture Extension and On Farm Water Management (OFWM) Departments could help
overcome these issues.
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Assessment of Water Resources and Development of Strategic Water Utilization Plan
in Pothwar Region for its Sustainable Management (, July 2003 to July 2006, sponsored
by Pakistan Science Foundation
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This study was undertaken in the Soan Basin to assess the water resources
(surface and groundwater) and development of a water utilisation plan for
lts sustainable management. Water-table data from193 monitoring points were
collected from 2003-2006. Historical data (1960-2006) of rainfall at different
stations, basin outflows and data on development of water resources in the area
were also collected. The analysis of data showed that the rainfall pattern changed
in the basin over last 20 years, resulting in reduced basin outflow, especially after
1984. After the drought of 1997-2000, the rainfall situation improved however,
no significant increase in basin outflow was observed. Since 1981, owing to 95%
increase in the population the groundwater utilization has been increased significantly.
Over the past two decades, the number of open wells, hand pumps and tubewells has increased
about 39, 186 and 96%, respectively. The increased use of groundwater, reduced rainfall
and basin outflow, have resulted in depletion of groundwater. The average water table
drop in the basin is 3.75 m over the last 25 years with an average drop of 0.15 m per
year. However, in the areas away from the river and recharging sources, the water-table
drop is much higher mainly due to more abstraction than recharge. In the areas, where
water storage facilities were developed, the rise in water table has also been observed.
On average, the annual rainwater potential from the basin is 3.44 billion cubic meter
(BCM) and only 80 million cubic meters (less than 3%) has been harnessed through small
dams, mini dams and ponds. Under the present water scarcity conditions, there is need
to initiate integrated water resources management programmes, with site specific
interventions, especially to harness the available rainwater. This would not only
contribute to groundwater recharge in the basin but also supplement the water supplies
to meet future water demand for various uses.
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Use of Low Quality Groundwater for Sustainable Crop Production
(March 2004 to September 2007, sponsored by Pakistan Agricultural Research Council)
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The main objective of the study was to design and test strategies for conjunctive use
of low quality groundwater and estimate the potential cropped area and cropping intensity
under evolved strategies and water availability at the farm level. In order to achieve
the project objectives, a detailed survey of the study area (Sargodha District, Chaj Doab)
was carried out to assess the status of groundwater quality and utilization using
participatory appraisal survey through a specially designed questionnaire covering
various aspects of canal supplies, groundwater, soil, crop production, farmers’
practices and perceptions about use of low quality water, etc. Groundwater and soil
samples from surveyed tubewells were also collected for detailed quality analysis.
The collected data were analyzed to identify the status, utilization and quality of
groundwater being used for agriculture. On the basis of the survey results, four sites
were selected at farmers’ fields for experiments on productive use of low quality water
of various compositions: i) one site with saline groundwater, ii) one site with sodic
groundwater, and iii) two sites with saline-sodic groundwater. The testing of developed
strategies for four seasons for the use of low quality groundwater at four selected farmers’
fields showed the workability of developed strategies at the farmers’ fields. In almost
all of the cases, the developed strategies provided yield, higher than the farmer plot.
The reduction/stability in soil properties (ECe, SAR, infiltration rate) has been observed
in most of the treatments. It has been evaluated that for saline groundwater, leaching of
salts at the end of cropping season is a reasonable strategy. Similarly for sodic water,
mixing ratio of 25:75 (canal:groundwater) is more appropriate. For saline-sodic groundwater,
a hybrid combination of mixing-cum-cyclic or cyclic-cum-mixing mode proved reasonable.
On an average, the farmer may increase the use of low quality groundwater by about 15-40%
relative to existing groundwater use. Therefore, about 15-40% area may be brought under
cultivation, using the above suitable strategies.
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Refinement of Skimming Well Design and Operational Strategies for Sustainable
Groundwater Management (March 2004 to September 2007, sponsored by Pakistan Agricultural
Research Council)
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This study was conducted in Chaj Doab (the area between the rivers Chenab and Jhelum) to:
(i) determine the depth of fresh-saline water interface; (ii) conduct surveys and characterize
design of skimming wells installed by farmers and their operational strategies; and (iii)
fine-tuning of the design and development of operational strategies for sustainable groundwater
management using skimming wells. The survey revealed a drastic increase in the number of
skimming wells installed during the drought period i.e. from 1999 to 2002. About 36% skimming
wells were found to pump water with EC greater than 2.0 dS/m reflecting some problems either
in the design or with operational strategies. There were no set design criteria for the
installation of skimming wells. The number of strainers varies from 2-20 and the size of
the strainer from 5-15 cm. However, 6 strainer wells, 7.5 cm diameter, at a radial spacing
of 3-5 m are commonly used by the farmers. Similarly, the radial spacing of the strainers
from the well was also arbitrary. The prevailing depth to water table in the area ranged
from 2 to 10 m, whereas the strainers of the wells are usually drilled up to 18 m.
The depth to interface of the fresh-saline water in the area was at about 30 m in the
center of the Doab and along the banks of River Jhelum and 40 m or more along the banks
of the River Chenab. The water table was shallow (within 2 m) near the upper reaches of
the rivers and lower Jhelum canal and was as deep as 10 m towards the lower reach of the
Doab due to less recharge from the rivers and irrigation network. The groundwater quality
showed a lot of spatial variability. At shallow depths (2 to 10 m), groundwater quality
was relatively good (0.4-1.0 dS/m) near the river banks. Freshwater pockets existed at
some scattered places particularly near recharging sources. At 20 m depth, the groundwater
quality was generally good (1.0-2.0 dS/m) except at the center of the Doab where it is
about 4.0 dS/m. At 30 m depth, the salinity was very high (2.4-4.0 dS/m) particularly at
the centre of the Doab. However, at this depth, the water quality was relatively good near
rivers (<2.4 dS/m). At 40 m depth or beyond, the hydro-salinity was the highest in whole
of the area (4.0 dS/m) with a few relatively freshwater pockets along lower reach of the
river Jhelum and upper reach of the river Chenab. Depth to interface of the fresh and
saline groundwater in the area was at about 30 m from the soil surface, in the center
of the Doabs and along banks of the Jhelum River, and about 40 m or more near the banks
of River Chenab. The groundwater quality measured through observation wells also showed
a lot of spatial and temporal variability. The hydro-salinity was not static rather
dynamic and showed fluctuations with time depending on various factors such as source
of recharge, abstraction, pumping technologies, cropping pattern, cultural practices,
season etc. Therefore, site specific information regarding groundwater quality was
necessary for proper installation and operation of wells. Moreover, the groundwater
quality improved, when recharged locally with rainwater. Based on the pumping tests,
it was suggested that skimming wells, each with 28 lps discharge, should not be
installed within a radial distance of 350 m (3.5 ha) from each other. Six strainers
of 7.5 cm diameter are recommended for installation up to 20 m depth (10 m strainer
length) to pump about 28 lps of water. A pumping time of 4 to 12 hrs/day may be adopted
for skimming wells, without having adverse effect on groundwater and pumped water quality.
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Water Quality |
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Status of Arsenic in Groundwater of Southern Punjab (Collaborted by UNICEF, 2003-04)
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The PCRWR undertook detailed testing of arsenic in Punjab, particularly in Bahawalpur,
Rahim Yar Khan and Multan Districts to confirm the arsenic contamination. In total 2395
samples were analyzed. Out of 2395 water samples, 543 samples (22.67%) were contaning
arsenic concentration above the WHO guideline value for drinking water quality (10 ppb)
and only 67 water samples (2.79 %) were found beyond PSQCA guideline value (50 ppb limit).
Remedial measures i.e. low cost arsenic testing and removal kits developed by PCRWR are
recommended for the affected areas.
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Arsenic Contamination in groundwater of Central Sind (Collaborted by UNICEF, 2003-04)
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Arsenic monitoring in Khairpur and Dadu Districts of Sind Province was conducted.
In total 20158 samples from 6 tehsils of Districts Khairpur and Dadu were collcted
and analysed. Comparison with WHO and PSQCA limits for arsenic in drinking water
revealed that 36 % water samples of central Sind exceeded the WHO guideline value
(10ppb) and 16% samples were beyond PSQCA standard for arsenic (50 ppb). Remedial
measures i.e. low cost arsenic testing and removal kits developed by PCRWR are
recommended for the affected areas.
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Testing of Fluoride and Nitrate in selected cities of
Pakistan (Collaborted by UNICEF, 2003-04)
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In total 1792 samples were collected from sixteen cities of Pakistan i.e. Lahore, Kasur, Faisalabad,
Bahawalpur, Mianwali, Khushab, Jhelum, Chakwal (Punjab), Karachi, Mirpur Khas (Sindh), Quetta, Ziarat,
Loralai, Mastung (Balochistan), Peshawar, Risalpur (NWFP). 18% of samples were found contaminated with
high nitrate (N) whereas, 13.5% were found contaminated with high fluoride concentrations. Project also
included development of low cost technologies for the removal of fluoride from water. Experimentation
for technology development is in progress.
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Innovative Low Cost Arsenic Removal Technologies For Developing Countries
(Collaborted by UNICEF, 2003-04)
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The PCRWR conducted research studies on the development
of low cost arsenic removal technologies i.e. clay pitcher, gravity flow and ceramic
cartridge arsenic removal filters. These filters have been tested and evaluated at the
National water Quality laboratory Islamabad and their manufacturing on commercial scale
is in process.
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Major On-Going Development Projects
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- Participatory National Integrated Water Management Programme
- Mass Awareness for Water Conservation and Development
- Combating Drought and Desertification in the Thar Desert by Management
of Water Resources
- Water Quality Monitoring in Rural Areas of Pakistan and Installation of Low Cost Water Conditioning
and Filtration Units
- Provision of Safe Drinking Water-Khushaal Pakistan Programme
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Major On-going Research Activities / Studies (Non- Development)
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Monitoring Groundwater Level in Major Cities
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The rapid growth in tubewell installation is causing adverse affects on the sustainability of
groundwater potential and water table is continuously falling in major cities. The condition
is more or less similar in other cities.For planning and management purposes, it is
important to monitor the groundwater table regularly. For this purpose, PCRWR Headquarters
Islamabad has developed a permanent water table monitoring network in major cities including
Islamabad, Lahore, Bahawalpur, and Hyderabad. The location and number of piezometers selected
are the representative of the water table behaviour in the respective cities. The water table
from these locations is being monitored twice a month regularly. The groundwater level
behaviour of Islamabad City is shown in the figure below.
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Groundwater level behavior in Islamabad
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