February 22, 2007	Thursday	Safar 4, 1428

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HYDERABAD, Feb 21: Adviser to Sindh chief minister on fisheries and livestock Faqir Jadam Mangrio on Wednesday called for cancelling contract system for fishing and replacing it with licence system because he said the former had badly affected fishing.

The adviser said while addressing a press conference at the local circuit house that most of the lakes were occupied by waderas who mostly belonged to ruling elite. Some also belonged to the opposition groups, he added.

Mr Mangrio claimed that Manchhar Lake had never been a sweet water lake and the effluent from Punjab and upper Sindh which was being discharged into the lake through MNV drain had no impact on it.

"Manchhar has never been a sweet water lake. It continues to receive water from hill torrents and the effluent has not affected it," he denied outright to a journalist’s question if the MNV drain was affecting quality of Manchhar’s water.

When asked what was the purpose of constructing RBOD if the MNV drain was not affecting the lake, the adviser said without elaborating "the drain would in fact cross the lake". The province had suffered Rs250 to Rs300 million losses due to shortage of water over last several years, he said.