SHC seeks comments on discharge of industrial effluent into Keenjhar Lake

The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday issued notices to the Sindh Irrigation Department, the secretary industries, the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa) and others on a petition filed against discharge of industrial effluent in the Keenjhar Lake.

The petition is filed by the Keenjhar Fishermen Welfare Society. In the petition, they submitted that the Keenjhar Lake was a freshwater ecosystem which was also the main source of water supply to Karachi and Thatta.

The petitioner’s counsel submitted that the lake had been contaminated due to discharge of industrial effluent. The lawyer said the Sindh Irrigation Department and Sepa had failed to stop discharge of the waste in the lake.

He submitted that the industrial effluent was being discharged from Kotri and Nooriabad industrial zones which was affecting the marine life as well as water supply to the localities situated near the Keenjhar Lake.

The court was requested to direct Sepa and other relevant authorities to take action against the industries responsible for discharging effluent in the Keenjhar Lake. The petitioner also sought direction to the authorities to take measures for preventing the lake from contamination.

The SHC’s division bench, headed by Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, after the preliminary hearing of the petition issued notices to the secretary irrigation, the secretary industries, the director general of Sepa and others and called their comments on the next date of the hearing.