As the country's largest freshwater lake remains contaminated, Sindh High Court has ordered three public sector universities to conduct separate water analyses of Manchar lake to check if the water supports aquatic life.
The petitioner Muhammad Shareef Mallah defended through his counsel advocate Nouman Sahito that the department has been violating the June 1, 2021, order of the SHC, which had restrained it from floating tenders for fish seed procurement the subsequent hatching.
The petitioner pointed out that on November 11, 2021, the Director-General Fisheries Mir Allahdad Talpur issued a bidding evaluation report. He added that the report's purpose was to buy fish seeds of different fish species for the lake. He alleged that the department was advertising tenders and feeding seeds in the lake. The department last year had floated tenders for acquiring seeds of Labeo Rohita (Rahu), Cirrhinus Mirgala (Morakhi), Cyprinus Carpio (Gulfam), Catla (Thaila) and Hypophthalmichthys molitrix (silver carp).
Mallah, who previously took the lake's contamination issue to the supreme court, further alleged that billions of rupees are being spent on procuring the fish seeds. His counsel argued that the grass fish could not grow in the contaminated water whose total dissolved solids (TDS) level is beyond permissible limits and whose soil has been polluted.
The lake is being contaminated by the Main Nara Valley (MNV) drain, emptying in Manchar with its highly toxic water, turning the lake's water hazardous for the tens of thousands of people dwelling. Talpur and Director Fisheries Inland Habibur Rehman Narejo briefed the court that they throw seeds in the lake every year. They claimed that the fish has been growing in the lake and is fit for human consumption.
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The bench observed that the pH and total dissolved solids (TDS) determined water quality and its conduciveness for the growth of aquatic life. "It is alarming that these tenders could be awarded without water [quality] assessment. Thus, it is a futile attempt for such purpose and may have a financial catch for some individuals," the order reads. The court noted that a pH level of 7 was required to allow healthy aquatic growth and that any reading below or above that benchmark was considered hazardous.
The fisheries officials advised the court to order testing of the water samples taken from different lake locations. They also expressed hope that the results will prove that the water is conducive to the natural growth of fish. Talpur recommended the court Department of Freshwater Biology and Fisheries of Sindh University, Department of Land and Water Management of Sindh Agriculture University and Karachi University for water quality tests.
"Since the interim order is operating and the tender process is halted, we view that immediate steps be taken to assess the water condition of Manchar," the bench stated.
The court issued notices to the three universities and directed them to test the water samples from the lake and submit the analysis report before the next date of the hearing scheduled for June 2.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 30th, 2022.
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