LAHORE - City District Government (CDG) on Thursday launched campaign to stop dangerous practice of disposing sewage in Lahore Canal, officials told The Nation. The CDG, in collaboration with three Town Municipal Administrations-Wagha Town, Aziz Bhatti Town and Iqbal Town, has launched campaign to free the Lahore Canal from the menace of pollution. Dozens of housing schemes, factories and government offices are disposing sewage in the canal at 21 major points - from Jallo to Chungh. These points include 18 from Jallo to Harbanspura Bridge and 3 points from Thokar Niaz Baig to Chungh where housing schemes and factories are following the hazardous practice. On the direction of District Coordination Officer Sajjad Ahmed Bhutta, the CDG and town officials on Thursday started the process of stopping disposal of sewerage water into Lahore Canal. The CDG has started discontinuing disposal of a huge amount of untreated sewage into Lahore Canal from Jallo. The CDG will complete the task of discontinuing disposal of sewage at 18 points from Jallo to Harbanspura by Friday (today) in the first phase with the help of Wagha and Aziz Bhatti towns, said District Officer Environment Tariq Zaman Khan, adding, in the second phase three points from Thokar Niaz Baig to Chungh would be closed with the cooperation of Iqbal Town Municipal Administration. He said the purpose of the drive was to overcome pollution in the canal water and expressed the hope that the campaign would be completed during the current week. It is worth mentioning that the Lahore Canal, once adding to the beauty of the historic provincial capital, is presenting a pathetic look these days due to the dangerous practice of disposal of sewerage and dumping of solid waste. The pollution level in the canal is rapidly increasing due to the irresponsible private housing scheme developers and factory owners. The unchecked disposal of sewage and dumping of solid waste in the Lahore Canal has also contaminated the underground water, putting serious threat to the health of Lahorites. In the past, the environmentalists and general public were continuously raising hue and cry over the ugly practice but to no avail.