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Haleji lake eco-system threatened
DIVERSION of water for irrigation from the Jam branch is the key cause of the degradation of the Haleji lake. This 6.5-square-mile, 10-billion-gallon water reservoir has degenerated substantially. Over the past several years, the water level in the lake has dropped down to a mere 4-6 feet; earlier, its average level was 20-22ft. Profusion of weeds in the lake, spread of hyacinth over the surface, and unchecked fishing threatened the survival of wetland’s eco-system.
Reduction of water downstream Kotri Barrage, over-exploitation of forests and fishing resources, increase in pollution, construction of dams, barrages and other irrigation schemes on the River Indus are major causes of the deteriorating of the lake. The Right Bank Outfall Drain, under construction, would be another major cause of the Haleji lake’s ecological deterioration.
The issue was raised at a symposium held last week at Thatta to mark the World Wetlands Day. It was organized jointly by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Sindh Wildlife Department and World Wild Life Fund (WWF), Pakistan. This year’s theme was: “From mountains to the sea — wetlands at work for us”.
Sindh wildlife secretary Shamsul Haq Memon, IUCN’s Tahir Qureshi, Rahat Jabeen (WWF), Najam Khurshid, Dr Naeem Khan, Naz Sehto and others stressed the need to explore resources and sort out strategies to save the Haleji Lake. Originally a saline lagoon, Haleji wetland was created during the British rule in 1934 to supply drinking water to the newly established cantonment area in Karachi.
Terming the deteriorating graph of Haleji Lake as most alarming, WWF representative said the census of migratory birds at the lake recorded as 168,645 in 1992-94, had now reduced to merely 15,393. Some 58 kinds of migratory birds out of total 220 species in the world once visited the lake, Rahat Jabeen said. — Dawn Sci-tech World Report
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