THATTA, Jan, 23: Taking notice of increasing contamination of water in the Keenjhar lake by the release of toxic waste via Kalri-Baghar (KB) feeder, the district administration of Thatta requested the Sindh government on Wednesday to set up a high-level committee to devise concrete strategies to prevent further contamination of lake water.

Relying on a recent report compiled by a three-member committee, comprising assistant commissioners of Thatta and Shah Bunder and an irrigation official, Thatta deputy commissioner Muhammad Nawaz Soho in his letter to the Hyderabad division commissioner said that the growing contamination was a threat which needed to be controlled immediately.

According to the report, toxic waste was released into the Keenjhar lake from the Kotri Industrial Trading Estate via the KB feeder and industrial chemicals made their way into the lake from Nooriabad industrial area via hill torrents from Jhimpir. It said that the lake, second largest fresh-water lake in the country, supplied 1,200 cusecs of water every day to Karachi and was also the lifeline of farmers in coastal talukas including Mirpur Sakro, Ghorabari, Kharochhann and Keti Bunder.

Deputy commissioner Soho said that highlighting the gravity of the situation, he had suggested that the Sindh government constitute a high-level committee, headed by the Hyderabad division commissioner and deputy commissioners of Thatta and Jamshoro, representatives of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board and the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency, and, officials from the irrigation and drainage departments, to devise concrete strategies and help minimise contamination of water.—BoC