ENVIRONMENT
Government officials, local communities, and experts are unsure of the status of the 1,209 dying freshwater bodies registered in Sindh. All waters have either been contaminated or are fighting for survival. This has been taking a toll on the local communities dependent on these lakes and reservoirs for domestic and livelihood purposes, researchers and government officials said.
Earlier, experts believed that Chotiari reservoir, spread over 45,000 acres in Sanghar District was safe from pollution. However, the community people residing near the reservoir have said otherwise. According to them around 50 tube wells are operating day and night to throw saline water into the reservoir. They claim this saline water will sooner or later pollute and contaminate the reservoir, making it unusable and unsafe for both humans and aquatic species.
Chotiari reservoir was completed in 2002. It receives water from Nara Canal through its tributary Ranto Canal. Nara canal wetlands system is a natural habitat for threatened species like otters, fresh water turtles, and crocodiles. Unfortunately, the reservoir developed seepage just after 15-16 years, and started causing soil infertility, increasing the salinity of the surrounding area. This has increased the problems of families dependent on agriculture, as they have not only lost their lands but their livelihoods as well. To counter this situation, the government installed tube wells and dredgers to evacuate the saline water into the reservoir.
Sindh, known as the land of natural lakes and rivers, that had housed the Indus Valley civilisation 5000 years ago, is fast becoming water scarce. Political manoeuvring, development of water projects and manmade initiatives are depleting the lakes, old waterways, and ponds fast. Even the underground water has become polluted.
Manchar and Keenjhar lakes, which supply drinking water to both rural and urban communities in the province, are also suffering from a similar fate. Keenjhar supplies water to the majority of the population in Karachi; however its feeding source – Kalribaghar feeder – is being used to carry industrial and municipal waste on its way through Kotri, Jamshoro District. Despite that millions of lives are at risk, there has been no check on industries and authorities which discharge effluents in these water bodies.
Mir Hassan Mari, who is working for the rights of fishermen and farmers in Sanghar, fears that this major fresh water body (Chotiari) will turn into a cesspool, sooner or later, if these tube wells continue to add saline water to the lake.
"People depend on this water body for fish as well as drinking and domestic purposes. If it is polluted, lives will be destroyed. We have taken up the issue of seepage and saline water to protest against the rising pollution and depletion of fish population with the officials concerned, but they say the reservoir was built as a pool to store water for cultivation purposes. They say they have nothing to do with fish stock or related problems facing the communities,” Mir Hassan said.
Reportedly, around 50 tube wells discharge saline water from the area to the reservoir, destroying its ecology.
The Chotiari reservoir is a combination of around 60 or more lakes in the desert called Achhro Thar (White Desert). A few lakes, which have been disconnected from their feeding source, the Nara Canal, have completely dried up and carry a desolate look. Several of the previously scenic lakes experiencing water shortage, have been encroached by influential landlords who are using the basin for cultivation.
After much hue and cry the issue of contaminated water has been taken up by an inquiry commission, which ordered to disconnect the flow of poisonous waste immediately and to avoid polluting irrigation canals. In its findings, the commission report said almost all irrigation canals carrying industrial and domestic waste are supplying water to the population in both urban and rural areas.
Since these canals are also natural sources of feeding these lakes. The communities depending on natural lakes for drinking water, besides livelihoods, are crying against the wide destruction and displacement they have witnessed in their areas due to the havoc played by these canals. They plead their issue should be taken at the forum to see how many people depend on lakes for drinking water and taking contaminated water for long.
Fishermen communities, the major stakeholders in case of fresh waters do not have any option other than leaving ancestral abodes, migrating to other areas or shifting hands to alternate sources of living. Now, even growers and herders are feeling insecure due to the declining freshwater supply.
Not only government departments, but also those who claim they are fighting for the rights of fishermen and farmers, have no accurate data about the status of these lakes. Many of these lakes have either been degraded due to receiving contaminated water from sugar mills and other factories or have been declared dead after dryness and conversion to cultivable lands. Presently, there is no fresh water and no fish stock to attract fishing communities to live there.
The major region of freshwater includes Badin district, where at least 20 lakes have lost their beauty because of freshwater shortage. Shakoor Lake shares border with Indian water body. Similarly, Sujawal district has lost 60 lakes, which have been destroyed due to sea level rise and intrusion.
Experts propose to prepare a comprehensive plan for sustainability of these lakes. They urge for a fresh survey of all the 1,209 water bodies. They also urge to take other old water ways, isolated lakes in the desert and coastal areas to also be taken into consideration for rehabilitation.
The experts believe that since many of these major lakes have natural beauty, they should be rehabilitated through policy mechanism and mapping to avoid land grabbing. They believe promoting tourism is also a better option.
Plants should also be installed to treat waste water, before letting it flow into the lakes, especially Manchar, Hamal, Keenjhar, and Chotiari. Ensuring the natural flow of water was necessary to save the ecosystem of these lakes. Experts further urged for a paradigm shift in the policy, as these water bodies not only provide livelihoods to hundreds of families, but also contribute to the national exchequer.
The writer is a staff member