DADU, Dec 28: Jakhpari, the once-freshwater lake, which used to attract thousands of migratory birds and nurture around 70 species of fish, has become too saline for fish and birds and is only good for making salt.

The water of the centuries-old lake started getting saline after the lake stopped receiving freshwater in 1996 from Piaro Shakh fed by Dadu Canal. As salinity level rose in lake’s water fish started dying and the migratory birds that used to make a stopover at the lake no longer made landing.

The salinity and toxic levels multiplied over the years due to shortage of rainwater and absence of a drainage arrangement for keeping the lake from becoming dead.

Haji Mohammad Chhutal Mallah and Haji Loung Khan Mallah, fisherman, said that 400 families of Jakhpari, the village the lake has taken its name from, Sodho Khan Solangi, Wasoo Noonari, Jam Solangi and Noorul Islam villages had been wholly dependent on the 450-acre large lake for the livelihood for centuries. Ghulam Nabi Mallah said that in the absence of proper control and management local influential people had possessed the lake which was now only good for making salt.

Around 1,000 people dig out 6,000 to 7,000 maunds of salt daily from the lake through 150 small boats and sell it for Rs10 per beg of 40 kilogramme to the local influentials who then sell truckloads of salt to the traders of Karachi, Hyderabad and Lahore.

Dadu Mukhtarkar Mohammad Hussain Lund said that the lake was still in the possession of fisheries department. District officer fisheries Bashir Ahmed Dogar who paid a visit to the lake and took samples of water said that records showed that the department had awarded contract for fishing in the lake for Rs1,000 to a contractor Aziz Mallah, which was valid for 1-8-2006 to 31-7-2007.

Mr Dogar said that toxic level in the lake’s water was 20,000 ppm per litre which was the reason behind extermination of all fish. The lake used to be 15 to 17 feet but now it was only two to three feet deep.

The authorised contractor was nowhere to be seen and in his place influential people of the area were busy digging out Rs0.5 million worth salt daily from the lake.

The salinity not only killed the fish but also deterred thousands of migratory birds from descending on the lake. If 300 cusec freshwater was released into the lake from Dadu canal through Piaro waterway the lake might again come alive, he said.

But Executive Engineer Irrigation Shafquat Wadho denied any possibility of releasing water saying that it was impossible in current situation.