HYDERABAD, Dec 21: The Sindh High Court Hyderabad circuit bench was informed by two experts of the Sindh University that the mercury content in Manchhar lake's water was 100 microgram against WHO's standard of normal value of one microgram and added that level of Manchhar lake was rising because it continued to receive 800 cusec of water from Main Nara Valley (MNV) drain. They, however, said that so far quality of water was fit for human consumption.

Dr. Mohammad Yar Khuhawar, Dean Faculty of Natural Sciences and Water Technologist, Dr.Mohammad Ahsan Siddiqui of National Centre of Excellence and Analytical Chemistry appeared before the division bench comprising Justice Mohammad Moosa K.Leghari and Justice Maqbool Baqar.

The court directed them to submit a more comprehensive report with summary and recommendations on short, medium and long term basis. It directed the district nazim to allocate a fund of Rs three lac per month to water technologist Dr.Ahsan Siddiqui to meet the cost of testing water samples to enable him to continue analysing water quality. The court allowed district nazim to seek financial assistance from government of Sindh if he faced any difficulty in allocation of the funds. The court recorded appreciation of two researchers for their service and expressed the hope that they shall continue it.

Dr. Siddiqui submitted before the court that the current level of mercury in Manchhar lake's water is recorded at 100 microgram against the normal value of one microgram as recommended by WHO.

He said that 250 cusec of water was being released to the River Indus with four hourly testing of water.

“The position of Manchhar Lake is critical as its level is rising continuously. According to documentation 1,500 cusec of water of MNV drain is released into the Lake but currently 800 cusec of water was being discharged into the Lake at zero point Mero Khan, Larkana district through Right Bank Outfall Drain (RBOD)”, he said.

He further stated that so far the ratio of 1:50 dilution was being maintained and no abnormality was noticed in water quality.

He said that if this ratio was followed then quality of water would remain safe. He added that TDS (total dissolved solids) were recorded at 272mg against WHO's 500mg. He informed the court that he had been working on Manchhar Lake for quite some time and had prepared a footage of the issue. He said that cost of test of mercury was very high and 14 such tests are being conducted in 24 hours.

The Additional Advocate-General Masood A.Noorani, who proposed that some financial assistance should be ensured for testing of water quality because so far this work was being done voluntarily by these two academics. He said three different departments, including Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA), irrigation and district government are involved in the issue. He prayed the court that analysts should be authorised to stop release of lake's water into river in case they found negative results in samples.

Dr.M.Y.Khuhawar said that level of TDS and conductivity was increasing in the River Indus at Kotri upstream.