SUKKUR, July 19: The Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) has started a phased programme spread over 15 years to rid the Indus river, right from Guddu to the delta, of pollution and contamination.
Funded by the international donor agencies, the programme would focus on cleansing the water flowing in the Indus and preventing drop of industrial waste into the river.
Speaking at a news conference at the EPA office here on Friday, officials of the agency, Wiqar Hussain Phulpoto and Mashood Siddiqi, said that three teams of experts had spent 25 days on a comprehensive research on the river water after collecting samples from different sections of the Guddu-Mancher Lake course.
They said that the teams were of the view that the water was unfit for human consumption, and hazardous for agriculture and fishing.
Besides salt, they said, industrial fluids and waste appeared to be main ingredients of the heavily contaminated samples collected from Sukkur, Khairpur, Ghotki, Nawabshah and Dadu.
The EPA officials stressed the need for vigorous efforts on mass level to contain inflow of industrial fluid and waste into the Indus. They also called for public awareness on the issue.
They regretted that their repeated representations to the concerned authorities of Sukkur and other cities had failed to draw their attention towards this vital issue.
The authorities’ indifferent attitude, they added, had aggravated the situation.
YOUTH URGED: The in charge of army supporting team for education, Sukkur and Larkana divisions, Brig Mohammad Latif, has called upon the youth to acquire latest scientific knowledge, particularly the information technology, to cope with the increasing demands of the modern world.
He said this during his visit to the Zenith Academy of Information Technology here on Friday.
He said that if they wanted to go along with the modern world, they must compete in the information technology, which provided vast opportunities of employment.
He further said that the computer technology was need of the hour and students should concentrate on this field.
He said that endeavours would be made to create job opportunities for the students of information technology.
Later, he visited different sections of the institute.
POWER SHUTDOWN: The executive engineer, operation, Hesco, Sukkur, has announced the programme of shutdown on 132 KV Arain Road grid station on July 20 from 8am to 12 noon for maintenance purpose.
The areas supplied power through Tower Feeder, FAP Feeder, Golimar Feeder and Indus Valley Feeder will be effected by the shutdown.
EYE CAMP: The Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital, Sukkur, is organizing a free eye camp on July 25 at Basic Health Unit, Raunti, Ubauro taluka, Ghotki district.