Manchar Lake water not fit for consumption

At least 45,000 cusecs need to be discharged into River Indus to prevent contamination.

HYDERABAD: The water in Manchar Lake is not fit for consumption, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The discharge of poisonous water from the Main Nara Valley canal has contaminated the lake and the water is now entering River Indus and polluting it as well.

According to the standards laid down by WHO, one litre of healthy water has 500 milligrams (mg) of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), one microgram (mcg) of mercury, 100 mg of magnesium and 10 mcg of arsenic.

The extent to which the water in Manchar Lake has become polluted can be gauged from the fact that the amount of TDS has exceeded 1,000 mg. There is 2.9 mcg of mercury, 187 mg of magnesium and 19 mcg of arsenic in a litre of water at the lake which is far greater than the approved quantities.

Currently, 15,000 cusecs of water is discharged from the lake into River Indus while only 12,470 cusecs are discharged from the Sukkur Barrage into Kotri. According to a water technologist, Sukkur Barrage must discharge at least 45,000 cusecs to prevent River Indus from getting polluted.

Considering the standards laid down by WHO, the water near Kotri comes closest to being healthy but if sufficient amount of freshwater is not released into River Indus, the contamination is likely to get worse.

Meanwhile, the Water and Sanitation Agency storage facility can only store enough water to last 10 days for residents of Hyderabad.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 10^th, 2010.