DADU: Babar Hussain Effindi, advisor to Sindh’s chief minister for irrigation department, while taking serious notice on the complaints of mixing of contaminated water of Manchhar Lake with water supply scheme of Sehwan city reached the site on Wednesday. He along with a team of expert engineers of irrigation department including Chief engineer Sukkur Barrage Nazeer Hussain Mahar, Superintendent Engineers Ikram Hussain Qureshi, Abdul Qadir Palejo and Engineer Zaheer Hussain Memon reached Sehwan and visited the water supply scheme of Sehwan city located at the embankment of River Indus.
He said the water of Manchhar Lake is contaminated and not fit for human consumption, and it would cause loss of lives if it is released into River Indus. He said he would take strict action against irrigation department officials after the inquiry.
The team also visited Manchhar Lake to collect evidences and also conducted a survey for its rehabilitation. The advisor to CM on irrigation told newsmen that RBOD-II (Right Bank Out fall Drain) project is the only solution to protect Manchhar Lake and its livelihood from contamination by MNVD-Main Nara Valley Drain.
“The federal government had not released funds which caused delay to RBOD-II project. The contaminated water of Manchhar Lake is dangerous for lives of people of Kotri, Hyderabad, Thatta and Karachi if the water is released into River Indus. Hence, it is necessary to complete this RBOD-II project as soon as possible,” added Babar.
He said that not only saline and polluted water of upper Sindh is flowing into Manchhar Lake through MNV drain but also saline, polluted, and toxic water of industries and factories from Balochistan and Punjab is coming into Manchhar Lake.
The advisor said over 60% construction work of RBOD-II has been completed and the remaining work would be completed as soon as federal government releases funds. He strictly directed irrigation officials of Shahbaz division Sehwan Sharif not to release contaminated water of Manchhar Lake into River Indus through Aral head and Aral Tail canal.
Talking on supplying of drinking water to the inhabitants of Manchhar Lake, he said 30 water treatment plants (River Osmosis Plants) are functioning at the embankments of the lake and 10 more ROPs will be installed soon.
Also, he said the irrigation department has installed 250 solar tube wells while 250 more will be installed soon to overcome water shortage in the province.
