Karachi’s water supply being polluted by animal carcasses

The carcasses are being dumped into the Kalri Baglihar feeder since 2007, say residents

KARACHI:

Animal carcasses and a human body surfaced on Tuesday morning near Keenjhar Lake, a major source of potable water for the residents of Karachi city.

Residents of the surrounding areas of Keenjhar Lake complained that dead animals are being dumped in Kalri Baglihar (KB) feeder, which is an integral source of water for the lake.



On Sunday, a family from Karachi during a visit found animal corpses at the main gate of the canal, Chul Regulatory. They immediately informed the local villagers.  "We then contacted the irrigation officials," said a local villager from Sonehri Goth, Irshad Ali Ghandhro, while speaking to The Express Tribune.

The officials reached the site and opened the gates of the canal without removing the bodies or carcasses from the flowing water, he claimed.

"This has been happening since 2007," pointed out Ghandhro. The villagers who live near the lake's embankment often find human bodies or carcasses of buffaloes, dogs and other animals in the feeder. Not only this, toxic effluents of industries from Kotri are also released in the KB feeder regularly, he claimed.

Most of the time, it is hard to cross the area because of the stench, he said. The irrigation officials avoid removing the bodies stuck at the gates of the canal.

Official apathy 

The villagers also pointed out that there are cattle farms on the both sides of the canal. "Many villagers dump their dead animals into the flowing water," said Ghandhro. The villagers have registered their complaints with the officials of the irrigation department and other district officials. "But no one takes notice," he claimed.



"The local villagers have informed me about the animals carcasses stuck at the canal gates," said Pakistan Relief Foundation chairperson Haleem Adil Sheikh.

Industrial waste and dead animals are dumped in potable water which is harmful for human consumption, he claimed. He said that he has been taking up this issue for the last couple of years as polluted water is being supplied to the people of Karachi.

It is the responsibility of the irrigation department to solve the problem, said Sindh fisheries department director-general Ghulam Muhammad Mahar. "We can't interfere into affairs of water regulatory department," he said, adding that he himself is aware of the issue at hand.

The officials of the irrigation department were unable for the comments on the issue.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 23^rd, 2015.