HYDERABAD, May 22: The dean of the faculty of natural sciences of the University of Sindh, Dr M. Y. Khuhawar, has said that water of Kotri downstream is not fit for human consumption. He said that the quality of water below Kotri deteriorated quickly and water supply pumping stations of Hussainabad and Latifabad indicated ‘total dissolved salts’ (TDS) at 986PPM and 1212PPM.

In a statement faxed to Dawn on Monday, Dr Khuhawar said that both the figures were above the permissible WHO limits.

He said that water from both sources could not be classified as safe for human consumption.

He said that he had collected five water samples from the Indus River at the Kotri Barrage, the Jamshoro-Hyderabad Bridge, Hussainabad pumping station, Latifabad-12 pumping station and pumping distribution system in Latifabad.

He said that water above the Kotri Barrage indicated TDS 212 PPM, well within the permissible limit of 500PPM (parts per million) of the WHO.

Meanwhile, the managing-director of Wasa informed people that the department is also conducting laboratory tests of water on daily basis.

He said that laboratory tests of water samples collected from different sources were carried out and the water had been found fit for human consumption.

The MD said that the samples were taken from the Indus river’s water lagoons, filter plant, Paretabad and Hala Nako.

NAZIM: District Nazim Kanwar Naveed Jamil has said that Phulelli and Paretabad will be brought at par with other areas of the city.

He was speaking at the foundation stone laying ceremony of a filter plant in Paretabad on Monday.

City Taluka Nazim Javed Jabbar, HDA director-general Tahir Ahmed, Wasa managing-director Kafeel Ahmed and EDO (works and services) Haleem Ghouri were also present on the occasion.

The nazim said that even after 59 years, basic facilities had not been made available in cities which were being enjoyed by people of rural areas in countries which had achieved independence after Pakistan.

He said that clean water was the basic right of people of Phulelli and Paretabad but unfortunately it had been denied to them for too long.

He said that within the next four years of the tenure of the district government, residents of neglected areas would be provided basic facilities.

Kanwar Naveed Jamil said that by the end of May or beginning of June, construction of bridges would be taken in hand on lined channel and Pinyari canal.

He said that the instant filter plant would have 8MGD capacity and it would be completed in less than two years at a cost of Rs140 million.

He said that in addition to residents of Phulelli Paretabad, residents of Latifabad, UCs 13 to 17 and other areas would also be supplied clean water from the filter plant.

He said that the storage capacity would be doubled.

He said that the work on filter plant in Hala Nako would also be started during the current month whereas the storage capacity of the old filter plant would be increased.

He said that the work on the Ganjo Takkar filter plant would also be started next month adding that following commissioning of the filter plants, the supply of filtered water to residents of the city would increase from 40MGD to 80MGD which would be enough to meet the requirement of people upto 2015.