HYDERABAD, Dec 8: The Manchhar Lake water control committee has decided to allow water discharge from the swollen lake into the Indus River at Sehwan and maintain it at the ratio of 1000 cusecs lake discharge to 50,000 cusecs river water to keep it fit for human consumption and avoid a repeat of wrong decision which had in past cost scores of human lives.

The committee met on Thursday at district nazim secretariat to discuss fears about levels of water contamination downstream Kotri after discharge of lake’s water into the river, fixation of parameters and adoption of precautionary measures to ensure supply of safe drinking water to people.

District Nazim Kanwar Naveed Jamil chaired the meeting. The meeting decided that a committee comprising officers and water experts from Hyderabad Development Authority (HDA), irrigation department and Jamshoro district government would monitor the quality of water by testing it at three different points one kilometre downstream from the junction of Aral Wah and River Indus, HDA supply line and KB Feeder Jamshoro every four hours.

Mr Ahsan said that Manchhhar water as tested on Wednesday contained 70 micrograms of mercury against its 1 microgram standard level and 5000 TDS against its 500 normal range but with the recommended water dilution the chemical ratio could be brought within acceptable level.

The nazim said that the district would never allow any individual or organisation to repeat the wrong decision at the cost of people's lives.

Chief Engineer Sukkur Barrage, Atta Mohammad Soomro said that the rains had caused sudden rise in Manchhar level to 113.9 feet with forecast of more rains starting from December 10.

He assured the meeting that the irrigation department would immediately stop discharge from the lake if the quality of water was found to be unhygienic or experts recommended stoppage.

Our Dadu correspondent adds: WASA Managing Director Kafeel Ahmed, Consultant Dr Ahsan and executive engineer southern division Dadu, Shafqat Hussain Wadho set up a camp at Manchhar and visited Aral Wah, Band Manchhar, Zero Point and Lakki Shah Saddar area of Indus River following a decision of water control committee.

Mr Shafqat Hussain said that WASA officials visited the lake and some parts of river. They selected Aral wah and Lakki Shah Saddar of Indus River to take water samples for tests after releasing water from Manchhar into the river, he said.

He said that water would be released into the river within a day or two. It would be brought down by about two feet, he added.