THATTA, Sept 1: The water level in the Keenjhar Lake, one of the main sources of water supply for Karachi, has decreased to 43.2 feet against its capacity of 54 feet.

A decline in the water level of the Kalri Beghar Feeder (upper), which feeds the Keenjhar Lake, has caused the shortage of water in the lake. The KB Feeder also irrigates lands in Thatta and Mirpur Sakro sub-divisions.

Confirming the decrease in the Keenjhar level, authorities of the Kalri Beghar circle, who look after the lake, said it would be difficult to supply water to Karachi if the level of the lake reached 42 feet.

The authorities have started a rotation programme in the two sub-divisions to avert any crisis. The shortage of water has caused a pest attack on the Kharif paddy crop.

Sources said that due to the water shortage in the River Indus, water flow into the KB Feeder (upper) through the Kotri Barrage had reduced to 4,100 cusecs of water against last week's flow of 7,500 cusecs.

Farmers of the area are not satisfied with the work of desilting and stone pitching of the KB Feeder (upper), carried out in June at a cost of Rs53 million, saying this has made the feeder more shallow.

They have demanded an inquiry into the matter as they allege that officials concerned have misappropriated funds allocated for the purpose. Experts fear that if the Keenjhar Lake, spread over 48 square miles and having a storage capacity of 0.508 million acre feet, is not maintained properly, water supply to Karachi will not be possible and lands in the two sub-divisions of the Thatta district cannot be irrigated.

PROCESSION: Activists of various NGOs and the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan here on Wednesday took out a procession, demanding release of Gulshan Otho, who had married Ghulam Rasool Otho in court about a month back.