DADU, June 12: An irrigation expert, Sikandar Ali Khonharo, has alleged that SDO Habibullah Kabooro of the irrigation department was mainly responsible for releasing highly contaminated water of the Manchhar Lake into the Indus , resulting in the deaths of several consumers.

Talking to journalists here on Thursday, he claimed that Mr Kabooro, despite being junior and inexperienced, held the charge of the executive engineer of southern division, Dadu, irrigation department, due to his relations with some political leaders.

He said that he had provided evidence and names of witnesses to the irrigation authorities, proving that Mr Kabooro had released lake water in the river.

He claimed that due to political reasons, no action had been taken against Mr Kabooro.

He said that on an occasion when Mr Kabooro was misguiding a high level officer of his department about the release of lake water in the Indus, he (Khonharo) was present there.

Mr Khonharo criticised the health department, district administration and NGOs for failing to save Asia's largest fresh water lake, Manchhar, from an environmental disaster.

He demanded an independent inquiry through a committee comprising honest and competent officials to reinvestigate the matter.

When contacted, Mr Kabooro said that after getting permission from higher officers, he had opened five gates of the Aral Wah, keeping in mind monsoon season. Thus, he claimed, only 200 cusecs of Manchhar water had entered the Indus.