Keenjhar Lake faces threat

Divisional Commissioner Hyderabad, Ahmed Bux Narejo, has directed the administration concerned to stop the inflow of industrial waste into K B feeder and to functionalism the water treatment plant installed by the government for the industrial waste of Kotri site with in a week time.
Narejo also directed that till the combined water treatment plant function properly the management of each industrial unit must to ensure in house treatment of the waste to avoid any kind of pollution in the area of K B feeder, which was the main source of water to Keenjhar Lake. This he stated while presiding over a meeting regarding water quality of Keenjhar Lake and monitoring of its incoming source of water.
Deputy Commissioner Jamshoro Agha Suhail Pathan, Deputy Commissioner Thatta Mohammad Nawaz Soho, Superintendent Engineer Irrigation Kotri Barrage, Chief Engineer Sindh Industrial Trading Estate Karachi, MD Karachi Water and Sewerage Board, Deputy Director Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Water Consultant Dr Ehsan Siddique and police officers of Jamshoro and Thatta districts attended the meeting.
Addressing the meeting, Ahmed Bux Narejo said that Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah has taken a serious notice on the reports about contamination of incoming source of Keenjhar Lake and has directed to ensure water quality of Keenjhar Lake and to make it as safe for human consumption.
He said that since the K B feeder was the main source of Keenjhar Lake but due to disposal of untreated industrial waste of Kotri site in to K B feeder, the water quality of Keenjhar is disturbed. He said that government has installed a combined water treatment plant at Kotri site with its capacity of 2.5 MGD but same was yet to be functionalized due to technical reasons. He directed the management of site to ensure its functioning with in a week time and get the inflow of industrial waste stopped into K B feeder.
Responding question of MD Karachi Water Sewerage Board, the Divisional Commissioner Hyderabad said that, his management would recommend the government for enhancing the capacity of installed water treatment plant in case it found bellow the required capacity. He said that regular sampling/testing and monitoring of the Keenjhar Lake and its inlets and outlets was very much essential to keep vigilance and ensure safe drinking water to the people of Karachi and other areas of District Thatta and Jamshoro.