HYDERABAD, April 18: The problem of growing contamination of Kalri Baghar feeder remained unresolved as the main stakeholders are yet to put their heads together to decide how to address the issue mutually with the feeder continued to receive two cusec of effluent a day from industrial area.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), industrialists and irrigation officials have so far not been able to hold a meeting which is overdue for last couple of months.

Earlier, when the meeting was scheduled the secretary EPA and Alternate Energy Mir Hussain Ali did not turn up in Kotri as he had to go to Islamabad. Now when he spared time the Kotri Association of Trade and Industry (KATI) office-bearers excuse themselves from attending the meeting scheduled for this week.

The test report of water samples had already revealed a very high value of COD (chemical oxygen demand) which might affect oxygen within body.

Dr Mohammad Ahsan Siddiqui of National Centre of Excellence in Analytical Chemistry of University of Sindh had conducted sampling of effluent - being disposed of into KB feeder in Kotri and checked 17 parameters of effluent which included pH value, partial alkalinity, total alkalinity, total hardness, calcium, magnesium, iron, copper, phosphate, COD (chemical oxygen demand), sulphate, total dissolved solids, conductivity, turbidity, colour, odour and chlorides.

"The value of COD is very high and odour of effluent was very bad," he confirmed as he found 2376 milligram per litre of COD in the sample against normal limits of 400 milligram.

Likewise, he said, total alkalinity was recorded at 900 milligram per litre against 500, total dissolved solids at 2900 mg against EPA's recommended 1500-2500.

According to EPA secretary Mir Hussain Ali either the industrial units concerned whose effluent was toxic and harmful should be asked to install treatment plants or some other via media should be found to avoid contamination in K. B. Feeder - the only source of water for residents of Kotri and Jamshoro which also supplied water to Karachi.

"Now meeting can only be held after April 24," said EPA secretary.

Irrigation officials said that two cusec of effluent was being currently disposed of at RD-36 of K. B. Feeder - an off-taking canal of Kotri Barrage - following a decision by concerned authorities.

The irrigation department had earlier opposed the discharge of industrial waste into KB feeder.

The mill owners of Kotri Site argued that wastewater release into KB feeder was not hazardous because no chemical industry was working in Kotri hence question of release of chemical effluent did not arise. They had proposed a site for natural treatment of effluent through oxidation ponds but EPA did not approve of it, they said.