KARACHI: For the first time since 1990, freshwater from the River Indus is making its way towards Manchar Lake in Dadu district.
Fishermen living around the lake are the happiest, as contaminated water from the Right Bank Outfall Drain (RBOD) had poisoned the 233-square-kilometre lake for a long time.
“We have been praying for freshwater and cannot believe that it has come in such a large quantity, bringing various kinds of fish,” said fisherman Allah Dino Mallah. “We would have celebrated had there not been such a calamity in other parts of Sindh.”
Mustafa Meerani, vice-chairman Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum, who lives in Bobak Town, off Manchar Lake, added that the “fishermen treasure freshwater because it revives their culture and provides them with a livelihood”.
According to Meerani, the rise in water levels will not threaten people living around the lake. “The lake cannot overflow until the water reaches 120 Reduce Level (RL) and right now there is 112 RL of water,” he explained, adding that there is an increase of two inches in the water level every day, which comes to a five-foot increase every five days.
If the water continues to rise at this rate, there is no threat to the residents of Manchar Lake for the next 20 days, Meerani assured. “I hope till that time, water in the River Indus will start reducing, so that around 3,000 cusecs can then be discharged from the lake,” he added. The level of the River Indus is 118 RL and it is expected to decrease with each day. Once that happens, the additional water from Manchar Lake will be discharged into the Indus though three canals - Danister Wah, Aral Head and Aral Tail.
Where is the freshwater coming from?
After inundating around 200 villages of Qambar and Warah tehsils of Qambar-Shahdadkot district, the flood water has entered Dadu and is heading towards to its culminating point: Manchar Lake.
Due to threats to Warah and Ghaji Khuhawar towns of Qambar-Shahdadkot district, elected representatives and the district administrations broke an embankment of Dhamraho Canal, allowing the torrents to enter Dadu.
Pakistan People’s Party MPA Najmuddin Abro justified this by saying that, “there was a high pressure of water coming from Zero Point near Shahdadkot city through the RBOD and our towns are about to be submerged”.
Abro said that water coming from Balochistan reached Zero Point a few days ago. One flow of this water has entered Saroh and Hamal lakes while the other flow is coming along the left side of the Federal Protective Bund (FPB) and has submerged many villages.
At least five people were washed away and several others were stranded in water in the resulting devastation. However, the district administration and the elected representatives failed to rescue the residents of Dost Ali, Ghaibi Dero, Karohar, Junani and Khando Union Councils.
“The water pressure can be measured from the fact that it was flowing over the roof of our primary school,” said a resident of Buthi Kashkar village, Nazir Shabrani. His village comprised three houses and all of them were completely submerged as people ran towards the embankment.
Other villages that came under water included Sabo Buriro, Hot Khan Chandio, Shafi Muhammed Brohi, Raes Jahan Khan Marfani, Gul Buriro and Pir Kamal Qureshi village. After inundating the villages, the water also entered Taluka Mehar of Dadu district.
Meanwhile, the water level in Hamal Lake has reached five to six feet. Water from this lake falls into Manchar Lake through the Main Narra Valley Drain but the regulators of this drain were closed to stop the Hamal Lake water from entering Manchar Lake.
“We had closed the doors to strengthen the embankments of the drain as we were afraid that hundreds of villages in Khairpur Nathan Shah, Johi and other tehsils will be flooded if the weak embankments collapse,” said MPA Imran Zafar Leghari.
There are threats to KN Shah and Johi towns along with 350 villages, said Leghari, adding that, “we are trying to pass the water on to Manchar Lake but it can cause a big loss”.
Imran Zafar Leghari said that as the water has entered Dadu around 60 villages of the district had come under water. Meanwhile, an official of the Disaster Management Authority said that around one million of people of Thatta and Dadu have been displaced for the last two days.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 29th, 2010.
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