THIS is with reference to Rina Saeed Khan's 'Caring for Keenjhar Lake” (DawnImages, June 27) wherein she has rightly displayed her serious concern about the degradation of Keenjhar, one of the largest freshwater lakes in Pakistan, which is also main source of water supply to Karachi.

Lake Keenjhar also plays a substantial ecological role in the functioning of the Indus River basin. It is extremely important for a wide variety of breeding, passage and wintering water birds. The mid-winter water bird counts of the late 1980s averaged 140,000 birds per winter.

The Keenjhar is also historically significant as with its name is attached a long-lasting love story of of Noori-Jam Tamachi immortalised by Sindh's Sufi saint and great reformer Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai in his poetry (Shah-Jo-Risalo in Sur Kamod).

The legend is that Noori belonged to the poor community of fishermen (muhanas) catching fish on Keenjhar to earn their livelihood. Jam Tamachi was a great king of Sama Dynasty ruling Sindh from his capital Thatta.

Once the king was on hunting and as he passed through the lakeside, his eyes caught sight of poor Noori. She was then working on a fishing net. The king immediately fell in love with her.

He subsequently married Noori and because of her virtues humility, sincerity, truthfulness and exalted nature made her the chief queen. On her part Noori, although having risen to the central position, did not forget her past so much so that she always kept with her old garments only to remind her of the earlier life.

This great queen of Sindh chose to be buried not in the kings' graveyard (necropolis of Makli, a Westminster Abbey of Sindh) but in the middle of her own people. Her mortal remains were buried in Keenjhar where in the middle of the lake stands a simple grave without any aura of greatness of a queen. Thus in her death also she maintained her humility and truthfulness to the terrain she belonged.

The Keenjhar is a source of life to millions of people from time immemorial. It is also one of the largest migratory bird sanctuaries of Asia, besides it provides fresh-water fish and also source of livelihood to those descendent of Noori whose main occupation is still fish catching.

The discharge of sewerage of entire area and release of industrial chemical waste in the River Indus upstream of Kotri Barrage, which is eventually carried through the Kalri Baghar feeder to the Keengjhar, have destroyed this great lake by changing it from 'sweetwater lake' to 'contaminated water lake'.

The despoliation of nature's great source of life and contempt to a memorial of historical significance is a crime against the humanity, to say the least.

I, therefore, request the public representatives (MNAs and MPAs) of the area and NGOs to come forward and take the cause of saving the Keenjhar Lake in earnest. I also appeal to the government to ensure that no effluent is discharged in the Indus.

Those industrialists who have found easy way in disposing of toxic material in the river bed should be barred from harming the stream. If they do not desist, major penalties be imposed on them.

Similarly, city nazims have to ensure that sewerage of towns, instead of being diverted to the river and canals, are treated and utilised for agriculture.

ISHA M. KURESHI
Karachi