DADU: WHO’s experts have advised fishermen living in villages around the Manchhar Lake not to use the highly contaminated lake water nor underground water for consumption.

The lake water has dangerously high levels of toxic substances and arsenic has been found in underground water in 35 villages around the lake.

WHO’s consultant for BDN project at the lake, Dr Khadim Hussain Lakhair, said that total dissolved salts (TDS) in the lake water were from 11,000 parts per million to 1,150 PPM.

He said that a BDN team collected samples of underground water from Girkano, Shah Hassan, Band Manchhar and Zero point and found it contained high level of arsenic.

He advised local fishermen to stop consuming the contaminated lake water or the underground water because it was hazardous for health.

The vice-chairman of Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum, Ghulam Mustafa Mirani, said that 25 species of fish had disappeared because of pollution and Manchhar’s renowned boat culture (entire families of fishermen living on boats) was near extinction.

Mohammad Mallah of Girkano village said that uninterrupted release of effluents from Main Nara Valley Drain into the lake had dealt a blow to fishermen’s livelihood and forced them to migrate to urban areas.

Shamoo Mallah of Tehni village said that five of his six-member family had tuberculosis, hepatitis, gastroenteritis and other waterborne diseases.

Prof Aijaz Qureshi said that the lake’s economy had completely finished. About 90 per cent Gallias (big boats housing fishermen’s families), a cultural heritage of the Indus River, had disappeared, he said.

He suggested a halt to release of MNV drain water into the lake and cleansing of the lake. After cleansing the lake, 200 cusec of freshwater should be released into the lake through Dadu canal or the Indus River, he said.

Makhdoom Zamir Hussain of Bubak village said that level of arsenic was increasing in underground water and blamed increasing pollution in the lake for presence of arsenic in underground water in 35 villages around the lake.

Engineer of Shahbaz irrigation division Sehwan, Zahid Hussain Shaikh, said that 2,500 to 3,000 cusec of MNV drain was flowing into the lake. Sindh Minister for Irrigation Syed Murad Ali Shah had made serious efforts to improve the lake’s condition. A water treatment plant would be set up at the lake, he added.

Jamshoro’s EDO (health) Dr Munawar Hussain said that a number of clinics and basic health units had been established at Band Manchhar, Moula Bux village, Shah Hassan, Bubak, Jhangara, Bajara villages where 1,200 to 1,250 patients were reporting daily.