HYDERABAD, May 24: The poisonous water released into the River Indus from the Aral Wah of Manchar Lake has started reaching parts of Badin, Thatta and Karachi districts after causing havoc in parts of Hyderabad, Kotri and Jamshoro.

This has forced the officials of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in the last 10 days, to collect more samples from Keenjhar lake which provides water to parts of Karachi, sources told Dawn on Monday.

Since river Indus is the main source of water supply to a number of districts including Badin, Thatta, Hyderabad and Karachi, besides Dadu, it is bound to affect the people in these areas.

The EPA sources said that the water of all off-taking canals of Kotri Barrage - lined channel, old and new Phulelli canals (also known as Akram Wah) and Kalri Baghar (K.B) feeder - have been badly contaminated.

Source said since rural areas lacked filter plants, people are being advised to use boiled water or adopt precautionary measures by treating the water before consuming it. Akram Wah supplies water upto Badin district which has rich agricultural areas. Agriculturists fear that the contaminated water might harm their lands.

EPA sources have cautioned the industrialists of Karachi - who get water from Keenjhar lake - to take precautionary measures for saving their machines from rustification.

The K.B feeder - a source of fresh water supply for residential areas in Karachi - is located on the right bank of river Indus. It not only irrigates agricultural lands of Dadu and Thatta district but also caters to the domestic needs of Kotri, Thatta and some parts of Karachi. This is already polluted from effluent of Kotri site and residential areas.

Meanwhile, EPA officials on Sunday once again obtained samples of water from Manchar, Aral Wah, Keenjhar, Latifabad unit No-10, Gari Khata and Bhittai Naggar. Sources pointed out that though Aral Wah has been closed for the time being but there is every likelihood that gates of Wah would be re-opened as irrigation officials could not block release of water of Manchar Lake permanently. The report of the test is awaited.

A division bench of Sindh High Court, Hyderabad circuit, last year had called for prosecution of industrialists, who are committing violation of Pakistan Environmental Protection Act (PEPA) 1997, in order to restrain them from discharging effluent or waste in Kalri Baghar (KB) feeder canal from their industries in Kotri.

FEES: The director of admissions, University of Sindh, on Monday announced that the last date for depositing remaining fees by candidates of MBA 2nd and 5th semester (evening programme) winter session 2004 and MBA 3rd and 6th semester (evening programme) fall session had been fixed as May 25, our Bureau reports. The candidates concerned had been advised to deposit their remaining fees in due date. No date will be extended, the director said.