MANCHHAR LAKE: Dark clouds hovered over Bado Jabal, a range of mountains in Jamshoro, in mid-August to give a mesmerising view of its majestic beauty. Overcast conditions were making weather even more pleasant. Flows in surging Indus ran parallel with those travelling along Indus highway.

Indus water had inundated vast rain-fed lands and riverine area, which is considered a boon for the communities inhibiting the area. Still, the river water maintained a safe distance from the highway.

Indus was in a state of medium flood at Guddu and Sukkur barrages on August 10 to provide impetus to irrigation authorities for feeding Manchhar from the Indus River — something very rare — through Aral head regulator where Indus level stood at 112.20RL against Manchhar’s 111.50RL.

A dying lake

The dying Manchhar cries for its rehabilitation which is only possible with plenty of freshwater discharges from river and hill torrents. As river flows end up in the lake, an air of euphoria — understandably though — was noticeable among fishermen living around the lake. They fear this euphoria would soon give way to despair again when Indus river flows into the lake are stopped and they would be at mercy of the Main Nara Velley Drain’s highly toxic water.

Fishermen’ fear is not unfounded and their excitement proved short lived. Irrigation authorities closed Indus flows from going into Manchhar through the newly-built regulator called ‘Aral head’ amidst fears stemming from Sept 2022 flood devastation.

Sindh government functionaries anticipate floodwaters from Balochistan that could be threatening or disastrous for the lake due to ongoing spell of rainfall notwithstanding the cries of local irrigation officials that gauges of Nai Gaj and Hamal Lake remain on lower sides and do not indicate any exceptional rise thus no need to get panicked. Any increased flows from Nai Gaj and Hamal Lake end up in Manchhar.

“Despite counselling that community is happy with Indus water releases into the lake we had to give-in,” concedes an irrigation official.

Ever since construction of monstrous Main Nara Valley Drain (MNVD), built by Wapda to great chagrin of local community between 1980-90, the freshwater lake gets never ending toxic flows from the drain, killing fish species and vegetation beneath the lake’s waters – home to migratory birds in winters.

“We are excited that Indus flows are entering the lake. It will bring fish spawn for us,” says Sikandar Mallah, a resident of Mohammad Khan Mallah village along flood protective (FP) Bund in Johi taluka of Dadu district upstream Manchhar Lake, 171kms northwest of Hyderabad. “Darya machhi laey ga…aur kahan sey aaey gi?”, he quips to manifest his frustration while pointing towards MNVD whose banks have remained ruptured since the Sept 2022 disaster.

Dispute over drain

MNVD is known as Right Bank Outfall Drain-I which is connected with RBOD-III emanating from Balochistan. Wapda and Sindh government differ over controlling RBOD-I/MNVD & RBOD-III as former claims it completed RBOD-I & III and Sindh should take it over while the latter insists that 2022 flood-damaged works in RBOD-I & III were carried out first by federal government before it was taken over by the provincial government.

“It [MNVD] has always caused us trouble with its highly toxic discharges to destroy lake [aquatic life],” he views. Sikandar had another complaint as well. “Officers want to close Mor Luk Canal to stop river water from flowing into the lake,” he claims, alluding to the old name, ‘Aral tail’. Irrigation official Arbaz Domki says that in fact like Aral head, fishermen want Aral tail regular opened too without realising that if the tail regular is also opened, river water from head regulator will end up in Indus again instead of travelling to Manchhar, located downstream right bank of Sukkur Barrage.

Executive Engineer Imtiaz Abro adds that Manchhar’s level on Aug 19 morning was 113.05RL while that of Aral head was 114.8RL.

Effluents contaminate lake water

MNVD runs parallel on left side of FP Bund which starts from Balochistan and ends at Khan Mohammad Mallah village after covering around 190kms stretch from Qambar Shahdadkot. MNVD’s effluents enter the lake to destroy its ecosystem and biodiversity that had once thrived. FP Bund serves as first defence line followed by MNVD’s banks (if strengthened) for community living downstream Manchhar Lake in Bubak and other cities in case flows of torrents breach banks of FP Bund and MNVD, or the lake bursts its banks.

“We get species of kurura, morkha, jarko and malhi fish in Indus river flows. Indus will benefit provided its flows keep entering the lake through Aral”, he says while alluding newly built Aral head regulator with 14 gates. The regulator was opened on Aug 10 this year to let Indus river flows enter the lake improving its water quality and aquatic life. But it had to be closed on Aug 18 amidst fear of disaster at the lake’s banks although lake officials keep trying to prevail upon government. Manchhar’s current level is in safer limits and allowing river water will benefit the lake and fishing community’s economic cycle.

‘Relief cuts’

In Sept 2022, two relief cuts were applied by the irrigation authorities under government’s permission at RD-14 and RD-52 of Manchhar Containing Bund (MCB) to empty the lake as floodwaters from Balochistan keep entering Manchhar till September. Manchhar braved water flows of up to 123.50RL in 2022 before its banks were undermined and relief cuts became inevitable.

“Indus river water can only be released into Manchhar when former’s level of discharge is helpful in feeding the lake due to lower levels of the lake,” explains an official. “Since 2022 has been disastrous in terms of floodwaters and rainfall, the government doesn’t want to take risk and that’s why flows from Indus are now stopped,” he says.

Manchhar also receives hill torrents of Nain Sharif, Nai Gaj and other streams but they in no way can be an alternative to freshwater of Indus, according to an official.

Fishermen’s livelihood

“For God’s sake, get this MNVD’s flow stopped. Ye gutter wala pani hey [it brings gutter water to us],” entreaties elderly Mohammad Laiq Mallah. Since breaches in MNVD’s banks remain unplugged its flows are mixing up with hill torrents’ water. His colleague, a bespectacled Mohammad Mallah, chips in with his semi-repaired thick eyesight glasses to say: “if Indus River is coming to us through Manchhar, then we will earn more as it brings fish seed; and sans fish, we are doomed. We will be able to earn Rs1,000 [a day] depending on the catch if the lake is filled with river water having massive fish quantity, otherwise it will be hard to earn Rs500 or so [a day],” he says.

Manchhar water quality

Manchhar’s water quality has been under check since the 2004 crisis when release of lake’s water into Indus River upstream Kotri Barrage caused close to 50 deaths in Hyderabad, Kotri and other cities. Since then, its water is released under certain dilution formula prescribed by water technologist Dr Ahsan Siddiqui, under an apex court order. He submits regular reports to the court.

Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2024