Impact of Drinking Water Contamination Caused by Hattar Industrial Estate on Health and Household Utility Economic activity of industry is posing a serious threat to the health and lives of communities living around. The compromised and unaware behavior of the people is affecting the human health and life and its impact spreads from individual to society in various dimensions. This multidisciplinary study attempts to identify, quantify and analyze the problem of industrial wastewater contamination into the drinking water of the communities and its impact on health and utility at household level. The study is based on primary data and in total 950 households interviewed and 305 drinking water samples collected from area affected by Hattar Industrial Estate (HIE) in Pakistan. The data is collected from two affected villages (Dingi and Motian) situated on the bank of industrial wastewater channel and from one reference village (Khanpur) located upstream with the same socio-economic characteristics as target villages. The study used Geographical Information Systems (GIS), epidemiology, environmental sciences and economic approach to analyze data. Based on laboratory tests, in drinking water of target villages, lead and Nickel is found above the guideline values of the World Health Organization (WHO). Single difference approach of with and without is adopted to analyze its impact. The associated diseases in both selected villages found to be high blood pressure, lipominingocele, renal disease, black gums, skin and joint pains. The statistical relationship between the contaminants and diseases was positive. Other variables of high significance included location, pollution awareness and perception of risk. Based on the principle of household‘s utility maximization three demand equations were estimated: 1. demand for health status, 2. Demand for mitigating activities and 3. Demand for avertive activities. The three demand equations are quantified in terms of marginal willingness to pay; opportunity cost of avertive measures and leisure; economic cost of water pollution; and welfare loss to the community. Marginal willingness to pay is estimated as Rs. 4142.03/- and Rs. 819.6/- per household/per annum for the target villages of Dingi and Motian respectively. Total opportunity cost of avertive measures and leisure for Dingi xi was Rs. 7955/- where for Motian Rs.4260/-. Total economic cost for Dingi and Motian was Rs.11889/- and Rs.10442 per household per annum respectively. The welfare loss to the community due to industrial water contamination was calculated as Rs. 5.8 million per annum for Dingi where Rs. 0.2 million per annum for Motian. The total welfare loss due to water contamination in both selected villages was Rs.6 million per annum. This welfare quantification, if extrapolated to other villages situated on the wastewater channel, can result in high monetary loss to the community. This monetary loss is in addition to the physical and psychological sufferings associated with diseases. The findings of the study cannot be generalized for all pollutants or all locations since it is based on data collected from households affected by heavy metal water contamination caused by HIE in Pakistan. However the majority of developing countries are facing similar types of problems and the results of this study can be helpful in the choice of better policy options. The results suggest that apart from environmental pollution, the economic and behavioral factors also contribute to the prevalence of disease. Therefore, policy initiatives should be focused on specific issues such as decisions on the location of industrial estates; inclusion of environmental awareness in the formal education; motivation to the community for participation in government or Non Government Organization(NGO) run programs for environmental awareness; and adoption of aversion and mitigation measures to save the communities from harmful effects of pollution.
والدین کی عظمت نحمدہ ونصلی علی رسولہ الکریم امّا بعد فاعوذ بااللہ من الشیطن الرجیم بسم اللہ الرحمن الرحیم معزز اسا تذہ کرام اور میرے ہم مکتب ساتھیو! آج مجھے جس موضوع پر گفتگو کرنی ہے وہ ہے’’عظمت ِوالدین‘‘ صاحب ِصد ر! والدین ایک عظیم نعمت ہیں ، ان کا وجود مسعود رحمت ہی رحمت ہے۔ ان کی موجودگی اولاد کے لیے باعث ِبرکت ہے، ان کی رضاء میں اللہ کی رضا ہے، ان کی ناراضی میں خدا کی ناراضی ہے۔ حدیث پاک میں ہے کہ جس نے یہ دیکھنا ہو کہ مجھ پر اللہ تعالیٰ راضی ہے یا ناراض تو وہ اپنے والدین کا چہرہ دیکھ لے اگر والدین خوش ہیں تو رب تعالیٰ بھی خوش ہے اگر والدین ناراض ہیں تو رب تعالیٰ بھی ناراض ہے۔ صدرِمحترم! قرآنِ پاک میں نصِّ قطعی سے ثابت ہے کہ اپنے والدین کے ساتھ بھلائی کرو، ان کا احترام کرو، اُن کے ساتھ اچھے طریقے سے گفتگو کرو، ان کو اُف تک نہ کہو ، والدین ایک ایسی ہستی ہیں کہ یہ اولاد کا کبھی بھی بُر انہیں سوچتے ،ان کے لیے مشکلات برداشت کرتے ہیں، پریشانیوں کو سینے سے لگاتے ہیں، اُن کی اعلیٰ تعلیم وتربیت کا انتظام کرتے ہیں۔ صدرِذی وقار! والدین کے چہرہ کو دیکھنا ایک عبادت ہے اللہ تعالیٰ مقبول حج کا ثواب عطا فرماتا ہے۔ حدیث پاکؐ میں ہے کہ کسی شخص نے پوچھا کہ مجھ پر سب سے زیادہ حق کس کا ہے آپؐ نے فرمایا کہ تیری ماں ، پھر پوچھا گیا آپؐ نے فرمایا کہ تیری ماں، پھر پوچھا تو آپؐ نے فرمایا کہ تیراباپ۔ معزز سامعین! ماں کے بارے میں کہا گیا کہ’’ جنت ماں کے قدموں کے نیچے ہے‘‘ ماں ایک ایسی نعمت غیر مترقبہ ہے کہ جس کا بدل دنیا میں ناممکن ہے۔ ماں آنکھوں کو...
This paper aims at an evaluation of various approaches to define and redefine the classical theory of the I‘jaz (the inimitability of the Qur’ān) in the perspective of the challenges and problems faced by the Muslim society emphasising a need to cope with the rational thinking, modernity, scientific progress, psychological advancement and civilizational development, though there has been a comparatively lesser description of the rhetoricism of the Qur’ān too. It provides an account of scholarship exploring some novel dimensions of the matchlessness of the Qur’ān in the contemporaneous context. They have justified rationally and psychologically the Qur’ānic historic challenge of producing a book or its some surahs or few verses similar to the Qur’ān that has offered the irresistible call to the whole mankind: “Say: “If the whole of mankind and Jinns were to gather together to produce the like of this Qur’ān, they could not produce the like thereof, even if they backed up each other with help and support”. (Al-Isra 17: 88) The same challenge occurs in the Qur’ān on three previous occasions (Al-Baqarah, 2: 23-24; Yunus 10: 38, and Hūd 11: 13) and later also in al-Tūr (52: 33-34). The content of all the verses referred to above is in response to the allegation of the unbelievers that the Qur’ān had been composed by the Prophet (peace be on him) and then falsely ascribed to God. All this was refuted. This refutation of the Qur’ān was logically established by the modern Arabic scholars through their sound arguments.
Those who can not work would not work. The employability skills and attributes are deliberated as a recurring
feature of national policies on provision of effective education. This study investigated how individuals
perceive, identify and address issues relating to their learning and employability. Schools are teaching
youngsters without clear understanding of what professions will be invented by the time they will reach an age
to work. The lifelong employability is no longer guaranteed by the education and training received in childhood
and youth. The continuous restructuring and cost-cutting approaches frequently result into layoffs leading
towards a job recession in global economy. This has increased the importance of up-to-date skills and
competences to prepare the people for a more uncertain future, with many careers and more frequent changes
in job roles.
Due to relatively high positions in organizations the managers can easily foresee and predict changes in job
market. They are an appropriate group to study self-direction and self management with regard to learning.
Hence, the significance of free agent learning for employability of managers seems a relevant object for study.
The data was collected through a structured questionnaire from about 250 managers working across various
functional areas in different banks based at selected cities of Pakistan.
Results of this study support the stated hypothesis that there is a positive relationship between free agent
learning and employability with respect to a management career. The study concluded that free agent learning
can be used as a tool to update and expand expertise, knowledge, and skills; to build and maintain networks;
and to promote reputations to prepare for job transitions as and when current employer cannot guarantee
long-term employment. The recommendations emphasis on use of free agent learning as a strategic approach
by individuals as well as organization to capitalize over learning and development opportunities which could
help in maintaining individuals employability as well as organizational excellence.