HYDERABAD, May 19: Water technologist Dr Mohammad Ahsan Siddiqui assured Hyderabad townspeople on Thursday that water being supplied to them by WASA was not injurious to health as reported by some newspapers.Speaking at a news conference at the press club here, Dr Siddiqui said that only 300 cusecs of water from Manchhar Lake was being released into the Indus and samples were being taken from eight places every four hours right from the lake to Hyderabad to ensure quality of water.

“I am the last person to compromise on quality of drinking water,” he said.

Since 20,300 cusecs water was being released downstream Sukkur Barrage it would be quite safe to release 1,000 cusecs of water from the lake into the river but instead only 300 cusecs was being released to be extra careful, he said.

He said the last year's flood that had devastated the entire province had proved a blessing in disguise for Manchhar Lake and fishermen because it had cleansed the lake of all impurities.

He said that 25 million people were dependent on the river water from Manchhar onwards but a certain quantity of water had to be released from the lake to keep its water level in safe limits in view of upcoming monsoon and flood seasons.

Dr Siddiqui said that total dissolved salts (TDS) in the Indus water stood at 415mg today against the prescribed WHO limit of 500mg.

Last year, he had appeared before a committee of the National Assembly in Islamabad and persuaded them to release more water into the river to cleanse the lake.

On his request, 20,000 cusecs of water was later released, he said.

He dispelled the impression that only polluted water caused gastroenteritis and pointed out that different kinds of cold drinks and other cold items such as snow cones people consumed in high temperatures contained hazardous chemicals and caused the disease.

Clean drinking water was not available downstream Kotri Barrage and a large population was forced to drink impure water, he said and appealed to authorities concerned to release water downstream Kotri.

Dr Siddiqui advised people to drink pure lemon water, which according to latest research, could check 13 types of cancers.