Evaluation of industrial water pollution loads, effluent treatment practices, and eco-industrial development opportunities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan | |
| Author | Ruby |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no.EV-26-18 |
| Subject(s) | Factory and trade waste--Pakistan Water--Pollution--Pakistan Sewage disposal--Pakistan |
| Note | A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Environmental Engineering and Management |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Abstract | Industrial water pollution from unregulated effluent discharge poses a severe environmental and public health threat in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), Pakistan. This study evaluates pollution loads, effluent treatment practices, and eco-industrial development opportunities across three industrial zones, Peshawar (Zone A), Gadoon (Zone B), and Hattar (Zone C), using a mixed research method combining the Industrial Pollution Projection System (IPPS) model, field physicochemical sampling of wastewater effluent from industries, and stakeholder surveys covering seventeen industrial sectors over. (Secondary data on industrial production and employees was collected from the national agencies and primary data on the availability and performance of effluent treatment plants (ETPs), operational costs, awareness on Eco Industrial Park (EIP), willingness to adopt industrial symbiosis, etc. Furthermore, the SWOT analysis was done to To estimate sector wise pollution loads using the Industrial Pollution Projection System (IPPS), industrial production and employment data were obtained from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) and the Census of Manufacturing Industries (CMI). Data on Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) availability, functioning, and cost were obtained, and industry understanding of Eco-Industrial Park (EIP) principles and the potential of industrial symbiosis were evaluated using a field survey and a structured questionnaire. This documented responses regarding the challenges of a sustainable industrial transition. Lastly, we developed a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis of industrial sites to facilitate sustainable planning and systematic policy guidance paradigm that incorporates eco-industrial development into industrial estates.The IPPS analysis identified the Lubricant sector as the highest Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) contributor (155.80 tonnes of BOD/year) in 2020 and Fertilizer industry as the dominant Total dissolved solids (TSS) source. Field measurements in Peshawar industrial zone i.e. Zone A recorded BOD up to 2,100 mg/L and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) up to 2,656 mg/l, far exceeding National Environmental Quality Standards (NEQS) limits. Average daily industrial water use reached 120 to 630 m3 /day, with 95.4% discharged as wastewater, reflecting near-total absence of water recycling. According to the survey, although ETPs were available in 71.43% of the industries surveyed, actual operational effectiveness was only 62.5%, confirming widespread inadequate treatment. Capital investment requirements of 6359.2 to 14177.3 PKR/m3 per zone and electricity-dominated operating costs represent the primary financial barrier to compliance.All six assessed barriers to sustainable industrial transition, including Shortage of Skilled Staff, Relative Importance Index (RII of 0.769), Limited Access to Technology, and Lack of Government Incentives, scored in the "High Barrier" range across all estates. Eco Industrial Park (EIP) awareness was low (26–32.5%), and willingness to participate reached only (21-30) %. Industrial symbiosis readiness was moderate, with Management Collaboration consistently the weakest dimension. The most significant achievements of this study include: the first IPPS-based sectoral pollution load baseline for KPK; identification of Zone A as the most critical compliance hotspot; quantification of the ETP availability performance gap; and a comprehensive cross-estate analysis of barriers, symbiosis readiness, and EIP adoption potential. These findings provide an actionable evidence base for environmental regulators, industrial policymakers, and development agencies to prioritize enforcement, green financing, and eco-industrial park development in KPK. |
| Year | 2026 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering (2026) |
| Department | Other Field of Studies (No Department) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Environmental Engineering and Management (EEM) |
| Chairperson(s) | Ghimire, Anish |
| Examination Committee(s) | Shanmugam, Mohana Sundaram;Cruz, Simon Guerrero |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | PMU-KPCIP-AIT Scholarship |
| Degree | Thesis (M. Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2026 |
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