River water should be drinkable water!

Our Proposal To Save RAVI Report Submitted to River Ravi Commission

Also known as “Green Bench” W.P. Number 9137/2012

Prepared By Hafiz Masood

Publishing Date 1/22/2013

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Photographs used in this report were taken by Hafiz Masood and His team members. This report is produced for River Ravi Commission also known as “Green Bench” W.P. Number 9137/2012, and can be used as a reference giving credits to the authors. This report is a volunteer and honest effort for the betterment of our society and environment. Copyright: © 2013 Hafiz Masood. 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: House Number 4, Street Number 2, Kakay Zai, Awan Town, Multan Road, Lahore, Pakistan. Or e-mail hafiz.masood786@yahoo.com Report Prepared By: Hafiz Masood (03454545815), with consultation of

the locals of NA 121 LHR 4.

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Table of Contents

Title Page #

What is happening right now? 5

Proposed solutions summary 5

Reverse osmosis process and some important details 6

Bioremediation Plant is not a sustainable option 7

because of the following reasons

i. Cost is too high 7

ii. Don’t solve the whole problem 9

iii. Corruption 9

iv. This pilot project is nothing new 10

v. WASA doesn’t have money 10

vi. Malpractices involved in land acquisition processes 11

vii. What if India opens Water during Monsoon? 11

viii. International Loans 12

ix. Land will convert into waste land 12

x. Mistrust over the solution of the problem 12

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xi. Grave concern in the public 13

xii. No More Cheap Vegetables for Commuters 13

xiii. Manhood Booty Plant – a short comparison 13

xiv. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) 13

We are polluting water at different levels; why can’t 14

we clean it at every level?

i. Water Pollution at House Hold level and how to 14

overcome it?

ii. Solutions for Small Manufacturers 15

iii. Large Industries 16

iv. Large Drainages or Nalas 17

v. Solution of Direct Pollutants 17

Ravi Protection Force (RPF) 21

i. Purposes and Works of the Force 21

Restoration of Ravi as a Tourist Resort 22

i. Venice Model 22

Fluoride and Aftereffects A Short Note 24

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hat is happening Right Now?

Household water users consume (clean drinkable) water and

send it to their house’s sanitation line. Small industrial Units are

also dumping their industrial waste into sanitation lines. These small

sanitation lines fall into large sanitation lines of their Mohalla or Town.

These large sanitation lines carry all waste and goes to Drain (نالہ). At some

places people send different kind of solid waste into Drain (نالہ) as well.

These Drains then carry sewage and falls to River Ravi. The same dirty water

polluted by the commuters of Lahore is used to irrigate the agricultural land.

Vegetables grown on these agricultural lands with the help of dirty water

then presented to the people of Lahore to eat.

There is currently only one cleaning facility at Mehmood Booty installed.

WASA is providing clean drinking water to the commuters with the help of

Tube wells and they have assumed that the water coming from the well is

clean but as we have polluted our soil with different pollutants - cemented

our surroundings and sanitation paths - water which reaches the

underground water reservoir carries pollutants along with it and it needs

cleaning on pumping.

roposed Solutions Summary:

To save River Ravi we need to send relatively clean water to the river

and let the Mother Nature do the rest. We have to make drinking

water standers according to International Health Standards. For River

Ravi water should be drinkable water. We should go for micro level water

cleaning facilities instead of investing in large plant. Increase level of monitoring

and impose heavy fines on those polluting water. Ravi Protection Force (RPF)

should be made to protect the River Ravi. Ravi should be regarded as National

Heritage (لوک ورثہ). Ravi should be restored as a tourist resort. If Venus can thrive

over water and water alone why can’t Ravi earn the Government large sums of

money in shape of tourist activity as well as economic activity?

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everse Osmosis Process and Some Important Details:

RO (Reverse Osmosis) unit will costs only 0.5 million PKR and have

capability of converting dirty water into clean drinkable water

according to international standards. Many Pakistani firms are

making these plants. The process labeled diagram is as follow.

Technical Process Details: Raw water goes to raw water tank from there it

goes to raw water pump. This pump send raw water to sand filter then to

carbon filter and then to softener (optional).At this point water is free from large

sewage particles but not clean. To make water drinkable it moves to security

filter where high pressure pump sends it to

reverse osmosis system. Reverse osmosis

tubes make water clean at drinkable level.

Fromm here water moves to pure water

tank. In my opinion the water is clean now

and should go to water supply point. I

personally have reservations over UV

sterilizer (ozone generator) but as

scientists use this as part of the process I

can’t say much about it. Water moves to

precision filter and from here it moves to water supply points.

R

Government of Pakistan is Building

around 300 Reverse Osmosis Plants

in Various Parts of Sindh. Asia's

biggest RO plant is Under

Construction in Nawabshah which

will provide 8 million Gallons of

water per day.

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This is a worth noting fact that Reverse Osmosis Process is currently world’s

most used method for cleaning water. The most beneficial thing in this

method is that this method can be expanded to macro level and can be

shrunk to micro level as well. This is also worth noting that in many parts of

the world where water is a very expensive commodity people use RO system

alone (from the above mentioned diagram) to convert used water into clean

water by only enlarging the length of the tubes and increasing their number.

Gulf Countries are very good example of above mentioned fact. Further data

can easily be extracted from internet if anyone is interested to know more

about the process and the plant.

ioremediation Plant is not a sustainable option

because of the following reasons:

1- Cost is too high. In 45 Million PKR (expected initial cost

for the plant) 99 small convertible RO (Reverse Osmosis) plants

can be installed which deal with the problem in far more effective

manner than one single plant.

Bioremediation Plant will cost approximately 45 million PKR which

will produce 10 cusecs or 0.2831 m3/s . But we can get the same

amount of clean water from Reverse Osmosis Plant in around 11

million alone which will be 4 times

cheaper than the proposed plant value.

If we calculate corruption money (Sorry

Honorable Court) in shape of Kickbacks

(30% of the original cost of the project)

and other funny businesses which are

now part of our system, the amount

will never ever be more than 20 million by any means. If we can

get the same results by paying half the price why we are going for

B

Minimum 2 plants having

the same capacity and

output can be built in the

same expense of one

Bioremediation Plant.

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this kind of luxury? Instead of going for the Luxury like

Bioremediation Plant shouldn’t we go for more RO Plants so that

more water can be treated at low cost?

0.75 m3/h will cost 5000 USD (international best best quality

equipment price – Price can be less if we go for somewhat low

quality or used equipment) or .5 million PKR.

To clean 65.71 m3/s we will require 5256 small plants total cost

will be 2,628,400,000/- (As large plant costs less. these estimates

may vary but only in fraction)

In Bio Remediation Plant by spending 45,000,000/- we will get 10

cusecs.

1 cusecs = 0.02831 m3/s

10 cusecs = 0.2831 m3/s = 45 million but the same amount of

clean water can be obtained by 11 million PKR worth of RO Plant.

It is also worth noting here that Bioremediation plant will take

more space than RO plant. This will not only solve the land issues

involved in the region but also will help use valuable land to other

productive purposes.

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2- Don’t solve the whole problem. It only deals with the part of the

problem. It is practically impossible to clean the whole river

water.

Proposed Site near River Ravi, Officials call this Natural Wet Land but you

let this area 2 months without water, this land will not remain a wet land.

3- Corruption. In 2011 WASA paid 50 Million PKR to a French firm as

mobilization advance. That French firm has never started work to

date and is not interested in starting the work. In fact this amount

from the public pocket has been vanished already. All details are

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under the curtain right now but if Honorable Court demands the

record, MD WASA and other stake holders are aware of the

situation, and will be bound to provide all details to the Honorable

court. Here this question should also be asked that when there

are rules to take guarantees from foreign Firms for the security,

why they didn’t give heed to the rules and regulations. If

Honorable court finds misconduct, this is public’s prior demand to

make an example out of culprits.

4- This pilot project is nothing new. On 20th August, 2010 Yasir

Habib reported in Express Tribune “The Planning and

Development (P&D) Department has approved a PC-1 (project

digest) for the plant at Babu Sabu,

expected to cost Rs83 million.

LDA (WASA) has acquired 7,300

kanals for the Babu Sabu plant,

which will be able to treat 462

cusecs of sewage.” There is

fraudulent activity happened in

that project which needs to be

properly investigated before inaugurating to any new project.

5- WASA doesn’t have money to pay their electricity bills but they

are destined to build new plants and facilities. For this particular

Bioremediation Plant they went to LCCI (Lahore Chamber of

Commerce and Industries) to invest in the project but as fact of

the matter Chairman LCCI refused to invest in the project.

WASA with the help of LDA wants

to buy land at 9400 PKR per Kanal

whereas the current Market value

is Much Much higher than this

amount. Currently 80 cases are

pending in different courts

belonging to same Area!

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6- If we look deep into malpractices involved in land acquisition

processes we will come to know that there are more than 70 to

80 pending cases relating to land acquisition in the proposed area

of project. In most of the cases WASA is paying a lot less than

market value and people are unwilling to accept the price (9400

RS per Kanal) they are offered.

7- What if India opens Water during Monsoon? Plant will definitely

wash away with flood water.

This is a known fact that the area

where Plant is proposed and where

WASA is acquiring land with

collaboration of LDA remain on the tip

of the disaster in case of flood. This is

not a healthy futuristic investment

because once we invested in this area;

this area will become our soft point.

We cannot trust India on this matter.

I have always become concerned

whenever I hear news of building a

new project along with River Ravi

inside flood plain because whenever

India opened its flood gate we have to face grave consequences.

Shouldn’t we invest in more secure and sustainable areas rather

than going for risky investments?

Though people are building their houses in River Ravi adjoining

tributaries which are regarded as flood plains in the past but

those are people’s investments and they themselves are

French are Party to waste water

management projects and their

consulate is ensuring that Projects go

to their Organizations. As French

have a very long established history

of Corruption, We Pakistanis will

remain unaware of the fact that the

amount they are paying in shape of

investment is not benefiting us by

any means. One French firm gets

paid for Environmental study, second

gets paid for Building the plant, third

gets paid for the maintenance of it

and the fourth gets paid for the

Financial assistance.

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responsible for their losses. When it comes to the Government

investments, the taxpayers’ hard earned money should not be

used in risky investments.

8- International Loans which have been taken from World Bank,

Asian Development Bank and Japanese Financial Institutions

which cannot be given back by WASA. Now if WASA go for

building this Plant it will need money. Large chunk of Money will

definitely increase utility bills for the consumers because there is

no other income of WASA.

9- Land that is acquired by WASA no doubt worth billions of PKR

which will convert into waste land if actions such as mentioned

above persisted too long. As, every problem has a solution we

should go for long term sustainable solution, rather than wasting

our energies and money into bureaucratic lethargy.

10- On August 05, 2012, In a meeting presided by Chief Minister

Punjab Mian Shehbaz Shareef, DDO Environment Younas Zahid

informed the meeting that there were around 203 units, which

were operational in the Sunder Industrial Estate (SIE) out of which

only one unit installed its treatment plant. In the same Meeting,

Mian Ijaz Rasool, Secretary Finance SIE, told the meeting

participants that the Punjab government had promised to provide

specific funds for installation of the combined treatment plant for

SIE and its PC-1 was also approved with the grant of 298 million

rupees but later it was postponed. This shows the mistrust over

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the solution of the problem because after spending such huge

amount the problem remains intact.

11- There is grave concern in the public that why WASA want to

build this plant instead of Environment Protection Authority?

12- Cheap Vegetables come from the bank of Ravi and the

acquirable land. Now WASA is

converting this land into non-

cultivatable land.

13- The Mehmood Booti Plant

costed app. 100 million Euros and

the French government has

sanctioned a soft loan of 70 million

Euros at a 1.6 per cent interest rate. The Punjab government

provided the rest. The loan re-payment was scheduled in 40

installments over a period of 20 years.

14- The Express Tribune reported on January 28th, 2011 that

“The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is already

conducting studies for the installation of another plant near Babu

Sabu. Japanese engineers are conducting the surveys and WASA is

hoping that the JICA will also provide funds for the project. WASA

is negotiating with the JICA to sanction a loan for this project.” But

why Japanese went empty-handed and did not invested in

Pakistan?

There is a very big difference

between Japanese and French and

that is Kickbacks. If you provide a

Nation to French and Japanese:

French will be the first one to offer

Bribe.

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e are polluting water at different levels; why can’t we

clean it at every level?

At first, it seems to us that river water is polluted by pollutants directly

submitted to it by industries or other sources but if we look deep into

the problem we come to know that there are many levels of polluters

contributing to the pollution of the River water.

a- Water Pollution at House Hold level and how to overcome it?

WASA is supplying same water for drinking as well as for use. Infect we,

people, are consuming drinkable water for cleaning and washing. This is

simply waste of clean water on one hand and on the other we convert

drinkable water into dirty water. First of all we all should realize the fact

that it is very hard to get clean and healthy water for our children. We

have to understand that underground water reservoir is for the future

generations. This is a common observation of the Lahore residents that

the underground water reservoir which was at 80 -100 feet deep and

was clean and healthy is now fallen to 300 – 350 feet and in some parts

of Lahore even that deep water can’t be regarded as clean because the

color of the water changes after 30 minutes of exposure to the oxygen

or sunlight. This is because we are not giving Mother Nature

appropriate time to work out things for us. We have to make

commitment to ourselves and decide what is best for our future

generations.

A small water treatment plant can cost as much as .5 million PKR which

can clean 18000 liters of water per day very easily. This amount of

water is very much for a whole street of inhabitants of 900 People very

easily. Government should become partner with the locals to water and

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waste management. To clean whole Lahore water it is impossible for

Government alone to clean it and make it reusable.

There should be separate lines for drinkable and useable water.

Drinkable water should not be used for cleaning and sanitation

purposes.

b- Solutions for Small Manufacturers

Small manufacturers use water in their manufacturing processes. The

water provided to them is clean drinkable water. They unfortunately

convert that drinkable water into dirty water and then send it to

sanitation line.

According to Asian Development Bank there are 9000 industrial units

working in Lahore. 3000 industrial units are working in Shahdera and

surrounding areas. More than 300 industrial units are working in

Sunder Industrial Estate alone. If we consider 12000 industrial units

working in Lahore and dumping their waste in River Ravi without any

kind of cleaning every passing minute; what kind of situation we are

dealing with?

We cannot clean everyone’s waste instantaneously. First of all we have

to place heavy fines for those who are polluting the water. From the

fine money WASA will generate revenue to build latest facilities and

pay its electricity bills.

Secondly, we have to find out the real culprits whom are polluting the

water. For this purpose we need micro level scrutiny system so that we

remain aware of the fact that who is dumping what in the water

stream. To solve a problem it is necessary for the Government to know

above mentioned thing at first.

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Lastly, Government should chalk out a waste line for small

manufacturers which should not be crossed by any means. In case they

cross that line, they should be fined or their licenses be canceled. If we

want to give our generations a healthy and clean future this must be

done in its letter and spirit.

c- Large Industries:

There are no such industries which have been fined or faced

cancelation of licenses due dumping their waste into River Ravi. Till the

day our officials keep on using delaying tactics to act or remain involved

in funny practices, we will never be able to solve the problem properly

and indefinitely.

For Large industries, water treatment Plant is a must thing but big

industrialists remain reluctant to spend money over water treatment

plant as they think that it is useless to spend their money over it. It is

not impossible for Government to make them install in-house water

treatment facilities.

d- Large Drainages or Nalas

As stated above, large drainages are one very large part of problem.

The solution to it is very simple. If we don’t want to or unable to go for

RO plant for cleaning our 15 large drainage facilities what we can do

very easily are two things:

1- Clean our drainage properly and efficiently.

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2- Make a 12 to 14 Km path for these drainages from pumping

stations to river bed. This is a very old practice used by Arabs in

Muslim world. When there was no other way to clean water they

were able to clean it by creating a 12km to 14km path on which

water travel and when it

reaches its destination it

become clean and natural.

All impurities go away

automatically.

This method has been

mentioned by many

Muslim scholars in their

research papers but

currently there is no

research or finding to

prove this method according to modern standards.

Modern Research only proves that after 12Km water regain its genuine

position. Theoretically, if we make water travel on rough terrain for 12

Km we might be able to get clean water.

As I have mentioned above there are no facts to prove this theory as it

has never been tested in presence of modern technology and

equipment but one thing I know is that the modern Large Reverse

Osmosis Plants do contain large tubes and these tubes make water

travel for long distances as shown in diagram bellow.

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Reverse Osmosis Plant Tubes

Though, gone are the days when we were innovative as well as cost

concern, but poor nations like ours should give Nature prime priority.

e- Solution of Direct Pollutants

1- Lahore District Government is dumping its collected waste on the

bank of Ravi. It has taken this for granted that this is a dumping

place for Waste. Honorable Court should order LDG to clean these

mountains of waste shown below and strictly bound them not to

repeat these practices in future.

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Mountains of Waste, at the bank of River RAVI, near Babu Sabu, and

can be cleaned without much effort. There is no need of any kind of

investment to clean these lands. There are more than 6 sites currently

in NA 121 (Babu Sabu to Shade Wal Shanwa along with River Ravi)

which can be identified and regarded as Waste dumping sites of Lahore

Waste Management Authority.

These waste materials contain all types of materials but plastic bags are

present in large quantities. There is no need to explain how hazardous

these materials are for human health and fisheries alike.

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2- From above mentioned Pictures it is evident that most of the

waste material is non-recyclable plastic bag. These Plastic bags

should be banned indefinitely and some other recyclable

materials like paper bags and other materials should be promoted

for general public use.

3- Environment Protection Department should also be directed to

run a public awareness campaign to contain damages done by

waste pollution.

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avi Protection Force (RPF)

A force under the name of RAVI Protection Force should be

made. At first this should contain volunteers but on a larger

and long term scale its members should be properly hired.

Purposes and Works of the Force:

1- Stop anyone from dumping waste into the river.

2- Issue Notices, Ban factories, make sure that no one discharge

waste without cleaning it on the 1st level.

3- Find the real culprit with the help of random testing and regular

monitoring.

4- Secure the whole River Ravi for tourists.

5- Should remain in contact with irrigation department and never

let anyone involve in malpractices.

6- Maintain Clean Water Standard and to report if there is any

malfunctioning in water supply to their relevant department for

immediate fixation.

7- This force should also be given the mandate to fine Government

officials if found violating the cord of conduct of river tributary.

8- The expense of RPF should be covered by its own activities and

not from Local Government or Punjab Government. This is to

make sure, this force remain out of any kind of political and

departmental influence. In this way RPF will definitely be able to

enforce the writ of law according to its mandate while remaining

out of the cloches of corruption.

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estoration of River Ravi as a Tourist Resort;

The Guardian rated Lahore as the 2nd best tourist destination in

Pakistan. But unfortunately we have been unable to save our

Heritage. Ravi should be regarded as our National Heritage.

Government can save a lot of Revenue as well as Restore Natural

Outlook of the area.

Venice Model:

Venice city is inhabited by 272,000 people and according to World

Tourism Organization, European Cities Tourism, National Statistics,

National Tourist Boards, Local Tourism & Convention Bureaux, Trade

Press (local and national newspapers, The Economist, Business Travel

News), Euro monitor International data collectively says that it is

world’s 28th largest tourist destination with respect to number of tourist

per year.

In 2006 alone 2.927 million tourists

visited the city. Prof Pizzati, a former

World Bank economist who now lectures

at Venice's Ca' Foscari University said in

an interview “70 billion Euros we pay in

taxes to Rome”.

Venice has been known as the "La Dominante", "Serenissima", "Queen

of the Adriatic”, "City of Water", "City of Masks", "City of Bridges", "The

Floating City", and "City of Canals".

Luigi Barzini, called this city "undoubtedly the most beautiful city built

by man" in New York Times on 28 March 2009.

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If we start building today,

we will be able to get fruit

in minimum 10 years.

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Venice has 118 small islands which are separated by canals and they

are linked by bridges. The major

attraction for tourists is Gondolas

driven by Gondoliers. These are small

beautiful boats with fascinating

design and structure. Theses charge

tourists according to time and not

with respect to destination point.

Just imagine how large economic

activity can be generated just because

of converting River Ravi tributary into a Tourist Resort. How many new

jobs opportunities can be created only because of planning properly

and efficiently?

At first we can start tourist attraction activity at micro level. As grows

the activity, so can be enlarged the region of the tourist resort. Detailed

report of the proposal along with micro level details can be prepared

and provided to Honorable court if required.

Government can’t

provide jobs to everyone,

but can create such

circumstances which

provide Jobs to

everyone.

In Report of River Ravi Commission sub-committee: Findings of visits to Bioremediation sites, Islamabad &Waste Stabilization Ponds, Faisalabad coated JICA,2010, The preparatory study on Lahore water supply, sewerage and drainage improvement project in Pakistan, JICA report WASA Lahore report said that There are 15 large drains and municipalities in Lahore and Shekhupura discharging their waste into the River Ravi. There are 12 Major pumping stations in Lahore. Total Lahore’s pumping stations to date pumping capacity is 65.72 m3/s.

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luoride and Aftereffects;

The permissible limit of fluoride in drinking water is 1.5mg/l

according to the National Standards for Drinking Water Quality of

Pakistan [1] and World Health Organization [2]. Above this limit, Fluoride

can lead to Various diseases such as Skeletal and Dental Fluorosis,

brittle bones, cancer, infertility, brain damage, Alsheimer’s syndrome,

and thytoid disorder.

July 2000, Manga Mandi, Fluoride Level reached up to 20 ml/g in

drinking water that led to the bone and teeth deformities in local

people[3].

We have to take fluoride level according to International Standards.

There has been no study publically available for the people which tell us

the real intake of fluoride we are taking daily. There are many people

around us whom are observing Skeletal and Dental Fluorosis, brittle

bones and infertility. As these deceases are caused by high intake of

fluoride this could be anybody’s guess what we are giving to our

children in water.

1- NSDWQ. “National Standerd for Drinking Water Quality,” Pakistan Environment Protection

Agency, 2008, http://www.environment.gov.pk/act-rules/DWQStd-MAY2007.pdf

2- WHO, “Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality,” World Health Organization, 2011,

http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2011/9789241548151_eng.pdf

3- M.Ahmad, B.Ahmad, S.N. Hussain, and S. Mahmood, “Clinical investigations of skeletal flourosis

in children of Manga Mandi in Pakistan,” Pakistan Journal of Pharmaceutical Science, Vol. 16, no.

2, pp. 9-11,2003.

F