The untreated industrial wastewater and irrigation returns have become the real threat to the aquatic life of the Chenab River, while the declining water flow of the river is aggravating the situation, a report of Punjab Irrigation Department has revealed. "With population growth and reduced water flows, prospects for Chenab to remain unpolluted are quite slim", report observed. It further said the levels of oxygen were depleting organic contaminants from sewers, toxic compounds from industrial discharges and pesticides from irrigation returns were increasing in the Chenab and two canals of Shujabad Canal, Sikandari Nullah and Naubahar canal. Report says the toxic untreated industrial effluents caused rise in waterborne diseases as well as many fish and other aquatic species had declined in number and diversity. If the situation was not reversed, further water degradation would occur and would impact on the aquatic life, public health, report cautioned. Highlighting the water resources for fish species as well for migrated birds, report said that Southern Punjab was home to many natural lakes. Also, those bodies of water were host to many species of birds, flora and fauna, he added. With the destruction of those wetlands, report said, many economic and aesthetic benefits drawn from them would be lost. When contacted an environment expert and representative of Centre for Environment and Development, he said water sources were increasingly polluted due to untreated industrial and domestic wastes being disposed into the river and irrigation systems. The sewage treatment plants had not been built by industries in Multan, he said, adding that only 30 to 40 percent of all solid waste were lifted by the local governments and there were no properly organised landfill sites in the area. In Multan more than 200 tanneries, and more than 1,000 other industrial units, with the exception of few, most industrial units are discharging their untreated effluent containing heavy metals and their compounds directly into river.