Headed by Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, the bench called the secretaries and the managing director while hearing a petition asking authorities to stop the flow of untreated industrial waste into the freshwater reservoir.
Human Rights Group of Pakistan, a non-profit organisation, complained that effluent and contaminated water from Kotri and Nooriabad industries flow into the lake, putting the lives of Karachi and Thatta residents at risk.
Keenjhar Lake is the main source of water for Karachi, said the petitioner, adding that untreated industrial waste is being discharged into the lake for the past 10 years, making its water poisonous.
The petitioner alleged that authorities have failed to take action against the polluters, who are destroying the lake's biodiversity in addition to harming the human population. "About 50,000 fishermen have lost their livelihood due to the loss of biodiversity," he added.
Earlier, Sindh Environmental Protection Agency director SM Yahya told the judges that treatment plants have been installed by various owners of the factories at Kotri while the KIA has also installed a treatment plant that is yet to be made functional.
To explain why it is still non-functional, the KIA MD should be summoned, he requested.
The court was informed that human waste treatment plants and PC-I have also been approved. However, the project could not be completed due to a lack of funds.
Environmental Protection Agency Hyderabad incharge Munir Ahmed Abbasi informed the court that the irrigation secretary has to block the inlet of untreated human waste into the KB feeder.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 17th, 2014.
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