THATTA, May 5: With water shortage persisting in the Keenjhar Lake, supply of around 225 cusecs of water from it to Thatta and Mirpur Sakro talukas has been initiated to overcome growing crisis of drinking water in the areas.

Mohammad Ali Shaikh, Executive Engineer, Kalri Baghar Division, Irrigation department, told this correspondent here on Wednesday. For the purpose, he said, gates of link canal regulatory system of the lake had been raised up to five inches from ground level at RD-2.4 to release water into the Lower KB Feeder, Ghak Massan, Jam Wah, Thatta Distributary and other channels.

The water release would result in receding of water level at the lake by half inch daily, he said and added that the level was being maintained at a particular level to ensure supply of 1,000 cusecs of water to Karachi everyday.

"We have been directed to instantly suspend water release into the channels if the lake level recedes to 43.5 reduced level, threatening with disrupting smooth water supply to Karachi", Mr Shaikh said.

The Keenjhar Lake, having a total storage capacity of 0.508 million acre feet of water, is the major source of water supply to Karachi. Elaborating the background of acute water shortage in the lake, Mr Shaikh said that the Upper KB Feeder, which filled the lake, was flowing 990 cusecs of water against its capacity of 9,100 cusecs.

On May 5, water discharge at Kotri Barrage was recorded as 2,107 cusecs which was insufficient to provide water to four major channels of Jamshoro - Old Phulelli, New Phulelli, Akram Wah and Upper KB Feeder, he said.

At Sukkur Barrage - which fed Rohri, Nara, Khairpur West, Khairpur East, Right NWC, Dadu and Rice canals - water discharge level on Wednesday was merely 2,400 cusecs, Mr Shaikh said.

The acute water shortage in the River Indus was the major cause of ultimate shortage in the Keenjhar Lake, he said. Meanwhile, the leaders of public opinion have criticized government inability to provide water, even for drinking purpose to the residents, and for irrigating over 800,000 acres of fertile land of the area.

They told this correspondent that the situation would ruin agriculture sector in the district and merely supply of drinking water was not the resolution of the problem. The district nazim and the district coordination officer of Thatta could not be contacted for comments.