Keenjhar lake case: KWSB claims contamination levels in drinking water have decreased

Chief executive says they were monitoring the quality of water supplied to Karachi from River Indus via Keenjhar Lake

The levels of contamination in drinking water being supplied to the citizens of Karachi has decreased to a standard level of 350 milligrammes total dissolved solids per liter – due to regular monitoring.

This was disclosed by the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board at the Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday.

This claim was made by the water board’s chief executive officer, Dr M Ahsan Siddiqui, who had filed a water testing report for the month of January in respect of KG Canal at Chillya, Loayach Naddi, Chull Side along - joint sampling by the water board and irrigation department.

The chief executive said that they were monitoring the quality of water supplied to Karachi from River Indus via Keenjhar Lake.

The laboratory - Industrial Development Water Technologist, was established in collaboration with the KWSB at the Chilly Rest House, where qualified staff has been deputed to collect samples for analysis of 10 different water quality parameters after every four hours, read the report.

Dr Siddiqui maintained that the situation has improved after proper steps were taken, adding that due to these efforts such as monitoring of the Indus river at Sukkur, Kotri Barrage and KB Feeder. He added that the industrial waste water from SITE Kotri will also be monitored.

“Before we started regular monitoring, the total dissolved solids (TDS) value at Keenjhar Lake was 650 milligramme per liter, which was not up to the standard,” said Dr Siddiqui. He added that now the TDS value was about 350mg/l, which is up to the standard.

Concluding the report, KWSB’s CEO recommended that they need to continue monitoring the water supply to ensure Karachi was getting clean water.

The bench, headed by Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, took the report on record and adjourned hearing.