Abstract:
Water is a crucial component for sustaining life on planet earth and the availability of clean
and safe drinking water has become a huge challenge in the present era. Rawal Dam is an
important source of drinking water within the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi,
Pakistan. This dam is supplied by natural freshwater from various natural streams and
rivers. Some of the important tributaries of Rawal dam include Nurpur stream, Shahdara
stream, Jinnah stream, Korang River and Jillani Town stream etc. As these streams are
located close to the residential and industrial areas in Islamabad, Pakistan, so they are
continuously being polluted by the anthropogenic activities. Due to the waste intrusion
within these freshwater bodies, the water quality is highly being compromised and as a
result the health of the people residing close to them is in danger. The present study focuses
upon the water quality assessment of Rawal dam and its tributaries. The water quality of
the selected sites has been assessed by physiochemical tests, microbial analysis, molecular
analysis, (DNA extraction and qPCR analysis) and heavy metal analysis. This study will
be helpful in the identification and quantification of notorious Gastroenteric pathogens
including Salmonella, Shigella, E. coli and Campylobacter within the water bodies and will
be helpful in tracking down the transmission routes of Gastroenteritis in Pakistan.
