HYDERABAD, May 25: The irrigation department had not informed Wasa and the HDA before discharging the Manchar Lake's contaminated water into the River Indus , the managing director of Wasa stated this on Monday before the district and sessions judge.

The Wasa official, Kafeel Ahmad Khanzada, submitted his written statement on the sessions judge's order during the hearing of a human rights application, filed by advocate Ayaz Latif Palijo.

Mr Khanzada said that Wasa had come to know through press reports that contaminated water had been released into the Indus. He said that samples of water at the filter plant indicated increased level of conductivity, TDS (total dissolved salts), hardness and chlorides, making it unfit for human consumption.

The official said that Wasa had informed the district Nazim and quarters concerned about the situation arising out of the supply of the contaminated water. He said that people had also been advised to adopt precautionary measures before consumption of the water.

He maintained that Wasa's filter plants were not capable of treating saline water. He observed that Wasa lessened bacterial effects of the contaminated water through bleaching powder and alum sulphate but hardness of the water could not be eliminated. The court sought report from the executive engineer, Kotri Barrage, and fixed the matter for May 28.

BADIN: Awami Tehrik leader Noor Mohammad Panhwar on Tuesday filed an application before the district and sessions judge against officials concerned for supplying contaminated water to district's waterways.

The applicant sought 13 officials as respondents, including the chief engineer, irrigation, Hyderabad, Nazim of Badin, Drainage and Water Supply Authority, Badin, Nazims of the district's talukas, superintending engineer, irrigation, Badin, and the managing director, Sida, Hyderabad.

Mr Panhwar stated that the contaminated water posed health hazard to people. He prayed the court to direct the authorities to ensure supply of fresh water to people. The court summoned the respondents on June 1.

PROTEST: A large number of residents, including growers, took to the streets in the Talhar town on Tuesday and staged a sit-in on the National Highway at the Talhar bus stand for four hours to protest against shortage of water.

They were led by former MPA Mir Allah Bux Talpur. The protesters raised slogans against irrigation authorities. A protest procession was also taken out in the Kadhan town, which was led by the area Nazim. The protesters marched through different thoroughfares and blocked the main road.

COMPENSATION DEMANDED: District Nazim Kamal Chang has demanded that victims of the last year's rains should be compensated. In a letter to the Sindh chief minister and chief secretary on Monday, he said that 188,493 houses had collapsed during the last year's rains for which compensation of Rs796.243 million was promised.

He said that due to the weak financial position of the government only fully collapsed house were recommended for compensation but the Sindh government released only Rs100 million.

He said that the district contributed a huge amount to the national exchequer yet its people faced starvation and diseases. He said that residents of the district remained under a constant threat of LBOD.

He said that the Action aid Pakistan had termed the drain a mega failure. The Nazim said that the people were shifting from the coastal belt due to a shortage of water.

He said that the Kotri barrage had been deprived of its due share of water due to injudicious policies of the government. Mr Chang claimed that Badin district was procuring 50 per cent oil requirement of the country but it was not getting anything which was example of unfair treatment. He called for the payment of royalty on oil and gas for the district.