Faisalabad is a major industrial area in Pakistan’s Punjab province that discharges wastewater into the Chenab River. Industrial effluents in Faisalabad are predicted to pose a significant threat to the riparian vegetation of the Chenab River and nearby vegetation. Heavy metal pollution of plants, water, and soils is one of the biggest problems worldwide that needs to be addressed because heavy metals above normal levels are extremely dangerous to both riparian vegetation and wildlife. The results indicated high levels of pollution in the industrial effluents as well as in the river in terms of salinity, metal toxicity, TSS, TDS, SAR, the acidic and alkaline nature of the industrial effluents, and the spread of industrial effluents up to 15 square kilometres in the Chenab River. Despite the higher pollution, four plants were found at all sites: Calotropis procera, Phyla nodiflora, Eclipta alba and Ranunculus sceleratus. It was found that most of the selected plants were phytoaccumulators, making them best suited to survive in harsh environments such as those with industrial pollution. The Fe concentration in the plant constituents was the highest, along with Zn, Pb, Cd, and Cu, all of which were above the permissible limits of the WHO. The metal transfer factor (MTF) was higher in most of the plants studied, and even exceeded 10 at some severely affected sites. Calotropis procera proved to be the most suitable plant for growth on drainage systems and also at river sites, as it had the highest importance value across all sites and seasons.

Anthropogenic activities such as industrial pollution of water bodies possess threat to floras leading to extinction and endangerment. This study investigates the impact of industrial pollution on vegetation along River Chenab and its associated drains. Rivers and channels transporting industrial effluents have been determined to be significantly contaminated. The contamination was evidenced by the acidic and alkaline nature of industrial effluents, salinity, total dissolved solids, and the sodium absorption ratio. The research revealed that the pollution in the region severely impacts the native vegetation, resulting in a marked decline in density, frequency, relative density, and relative frequency across 10 sites, including three drain sites and one non-polluted site. Four plant species, Calotropis procera, Eclipta alba, Phyla nodiflora, and Ranunculus sceleratus exhibited tolerance to pollution and were present at all sites during all seasons. Anatomical modifications, such as increased root aerenchyma and vascular bundles, enabled these plants to thrive in polluted environments. The study highlights the importance of these species in phytoremediation and their potential for use in restoring degraded ecosystems.

Alkaline stress exacerbates ionic toxicity, leading to a decline in plant growth and yield. Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Stndl., commonly known as squash, an annual plant belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family, is sensitive to alkalinity because of its impact on physiological growth and yield of plant. However, studies on the utilization of plant growth regulators to alleviate alkali stress in Lagenaria siceraria is scarce. In the present study, a pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the impact of foliar application of NAA (0, 50, 75, or 100 ppm) on the growth, yield, and biochemical parameters of L. siceraria under both normal and alkaline stress conditions (0 and 40 mM). The findings revealed that alkaline stress significantly diminished plant growth, biomass, and leaf and fruit counts, whereas NAA application amplified all growth and yield characteristics under both stressful and normal conditions. Additionally, compared with salt stress alone, alkaline stress markedly decreased the levels of photosynthetic pigments; however, 75% NAA application resulted in 43% increase in Chl a, 53% increase in Chl b, and 66% increase in carotenoids. Moreover, there was a notable increase in the primary and secondary metabolites of plants treated with NAA, including a 27% increase in total soluble proteins (TSP), a 38% increase in total free amino acids (TFA), and a 28% and 27% increase in total phenolic and flavonoid contents, respectively, in comparison with the plants subjected only to stress. To further explore the impact of NAA on biochemical parameters of L. siceraria, antioxidant enzymes like catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD) activities were assessed. The results indicated that alkali stress increased enzyme activities, which were further increased under the influence of foliar-applied NAA as compared to the plants exposed solely to stress. These findings underscore the beneficial role of exogenous NAA application in mitigating the adverse effects of alkali stress on L. siceraria.