An now water holidays?

Water shortage in various areas of the city has added to the citizens’ misery. The situation is not restricted to particular areas, but it is widespread as many residential colonies located on the outskirts of the city to its posh areas face the same situation. Apparently, the ongoing unannounced spells of load shedding, especially during the hours when the KWSB’s local pumping stations are scheduled to pump water to a certain area, has added to the resentment of the citizens. It seems that the KWSB is observing water holidays because water supply to certain areas, particularly North Nazimabad, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Orangi Town, Saddar, Liaquatabad, New Karachi, North Karachi, Gurumandir, Soldier Bazar and older areas of the city, has been rescheduled from daily to alternate days. Meanwhile, the illegal water connections, especially those using injection-type suction devices, have barred lawful consumers from getting water. This trend is considerably exhibited in Orangi Town. However, the legal consumers have to pay for the water despite consumption by illegal ones, who have damaged the KWSB infrastructure and are yet to be brought into the tax net. By Amar Guriro

Sunday, October 04, 2009

Daily Times

Pollution ruining Keenjhar Lake

Text and photos by Amar Guriro

Despite tall claims made by the government at various levels to make Keenjhar Lake pollution free, it has yet to materialise as the lake continues suffering from acute water shortage and increasing pollution. Keenjhar Lake, which is Pakistan’s second largest natural freshwater lake, a Ramsar site, a protected game sanctuary and the only source that fulfills the drinking water requirement of the city, needs protective measures on emergency basis.

Though several public sector departments, international donors and organisations, local community-based organisations (CBO) and nongovernmental organisations are running different projects on the site, no one has bothered to come forward to work for the lake’s preservation and making it pollution free.

Sindh Irrigation Department claims that it owns the lake as the department provides water to the lake. Sindh Wildlife Department (SWD) maintains that the lake is its most important site as it serves for different migratory birds and other wildlife. District government declares the lake as its part. The lake is also very important for the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board as it is the only source that provides drinking water to 1.8 million people of the city.

For Sindh Culture and Tourism Department, the lake generates huge revenue as the department runs residential huts, picnic spots and other activities. The World Wildlife Fund, United Nations Development Programme, and several local CBOs and NGOs are running several projects near the lake, but none of these government departments or international and local organisations are doing anything for its protection.

Indus for All Programme’s Site Manager for Keenjhar Lake Zahid Jalbani, while stating major reasons responsible for the lake’s pollution, said,

“The highly contaminated industrial effluent, which comprises highly toxic waste from hundreds of industrial units of Kotri and Nooriabad, is being poured in the lake without proper treatment.”

Besides being the main water supply source, the lake is also considered to be an important site for breeding and a passage for water birds that migrate to Pakistan in winter from Russian Siberia and other cold countries. The official record of SWD reveals that the lake used to be a birdwatcher’s heaven and almost 0.3 million migratory birds of about 200 species were reported to be seen near it, but rise in pollution, especially the industrial waste, has drastically changed the ecology of the lake.

Besides industrial waste, the practice of washing vehicles in the lake and picnickers littering it also contribute to rise in pollution of the lake. During a visit, this scribe found tons of empty soft drink cans, food item wrappers, polyethylene bags, plastic bottles and papers near the edges of the lake.

Sunday, October 04, 2009

Daily Times

Hopes still alive for city’s largest alternate water reservoir

Text and photos by Amar Guriro

KARACHI: The de-silting work of the Reservoir Branch, a canal that connects Haleji Lake with Indus River, has finally been completed. The work was initiated in April this year. Mounds of silt that had almost chocked the canal, weeds and heaps of woods that had piled up during the last eleven years, have been removed.

But still the authorities concerned need to replace the rusted wheels, which are used to move the gates of the regulator just beside the lake. The irrigation authorities have also released water for Haleji after long pause, following which environmentalists hope that the lake, which was suffering from acute water shortage, would be restored.

The Haleji Lake is one of the biggest freshwater lakes of the country and is a wildlife sanctuary.

This Ramsar site, which was once known as a birdwatcher’s paradise, is suffering from pollution, especially the industrial waste that fall into its water.

Haleji Lake was once the biggest and the only reservoir to fulfill the drinking water requirements of Pakistan’s biggest city, Karachi, but after a scuffle between Sindh Wildlife Department and the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board, the water board had started siphoning water from Gujjo minor as an alternate source. But despite that Haleji is the biggest alternate water reservoir for Karachi.

The KWSB’s official record reveals that in the past, the Haleji Lake canal was taking about 2,200 cusecs from the Keenjhar Lake, but due to the tussle between the irrigation and wildlife departments, the water was not released for many years.

The history of Haleji Lake reveals that during the British rule, the British government had established this lake artificially to facilitate its troops stationed in the city during World War II.

Since then it became a permanent drinking water source for Karachi. A large number of migratory birds from Siberia, Russia and other cold countries used to flock to this beautiful lake. Since the irrigation department stopped providing water to Haleji Lake, silt had amassed in most parts of the canal that connect the lake with the Indus River, but in April 2009, the authorities concerned initiated the de-silting work.

The lake also faces a threat in the form of the Water and Power Development Authority’s ongoing mega project, the Right Bank Outfall Drain Phase-III, that passes just beside the lake and experts say the freshwater reservoir would be destroyed if the waste flowing in the drain seeps into the lake.

Saturday, October 03, 2009

Daily Times

Reduced flow of Indus River affects residents of Indus Delta

Text and photos by Amar Guriro

The reducing annual rainfall, environmental degradation and climate change have decreased the flow in the Indus River, which is supposed to be Pakistan’s lifeline. Due to the reduced flow in downstream Kotri, the people living in the Sindh’s coastal belt that is spread from Karachi to Badin are suffering due to acute water shortage.

The water shortage has not only affected fishing - the main source of livelihood in the coastal belt, but the residents of several small coastal villages are unable to find potable water.

This scribe visited these areas, starting the journey from Kharo Chhan, district Thatta. After travelling for almost three hours from the district headquarter town of Thatta, This scribe came across a huge river flowing in full swing. Initially it appeared if it was the mighty Indus River, but the residents said that it was seawater flowing upstream.

On the other side of the river, the village Haji Yusuf Katiyar - a traditional fishermen’s hamlet - is located. Built with local architecture, the wooden huts presented a dazzling scene.

This scribe sat in a small wooden boat to travel to the village. The village was once located about 80 kilometres away from the sea, but due to the absence of flow in Indus River; seawater has started flowing flow upstream just beside the village, where once the Indus flowed. Almost every resident of this traditional hamlet is a professional fisherman. Fishing is their ancestral profession.

Since childhood, they leave for deep-sea fishing and they stay at the sea for several days, during which they have to take food and water with them. Due to the shortage, the cost of routine fishing has increased, and they have to buy water for their voyages. As this scribe reached the village, a large number of children, most of them half naked, with a strange spark in their eyes, were the first ones to greet.

Some of these children were playing in front of an iron signboard, which said that a local NGO has started a project to provide potable water to the village in collaboration with a national level donor. But nothing has so far been done.

Comprising over 200 households, the village presented a picture of the pain that its residents feel everyday. The ground water was once suitable for human consumption when Indus River used to flow near the area. But since the seawater has reached near the village, the ground water became brackish and unfit for human consumption. Villagers either have to use the contaminated seawater using hand pumps or have to travel 30 kilometres to bring canal water.

An elderly chieftain of the village, after whom the village has its name, Haji Yusuf, demanded the government to provide canal water to the village. He said that the nearest source of canal water is located just a few kilometres out of the village and it would not be a major task for the government to facilitate them in the provision of potable water.

Monday, September 14, 2009

Daily Times

City to get fresh water as discharge increases

Text and photos by Amar Guriro

Environmentalists hope that the city would get fresh and less polluted water after the Sindh Irrigation Department (SID) has increased the daily discharge for Kalri Baghar (KB) feeder that feeds the Keenjhar Lake from where the whole city gets its water. The recent torrential monsoon rains have increased the flow of River Indus and SID has doubled the daily discharge of the KB feeder.

The KB feeder provides water to Keenjhar Lake, which is not only a Ramsar site and a protected game sanctuary, but it also provides water to Pakistan’s largest city, Karachi. However, hundreds of industries of the Kotri Industrial Site Area are pouring highly intoxicated industrial waste in the KB Feeder.

“The industrial units, including chemical industries and some pharmaceutical factories, are directly pouring polluted water in the KB feeder, but after an increase in the daily discharge, Keenjhar Lake and the residents of Karachi would get less polluted water for the next few days,” said President Hamdam Development and Welfare Organization (HDWO) Shaukat Soomro.

HDWO is working on issues of environment, health, hygiene and fresh water in collaboration with WaterAid Pakistan, Orangi Pilot Project and other national donors. “To ensure constant fresh water, the authorities must ensure ending the illegal sewerage connections and also the increase of discharge,” said Soomro.

The industrial waste is not only harming two of Pakistan’s total 19 Ramsar sites, including Keenjhar Lake and Haleji Lake, but also posing threats to 18 million citizens of Karachi and 1.2 million citizens of Thatta that get water from those sites.

Keenjhar or Kalri Lake is a Ramsar site and is protected under the International Ramsar Convention that took place in 1971 in the Iranian city, Ramsar. The Pakistani government is also a signatory to the convention. However, it has taken no measures to protect this lake.

There are a total of 19 Ramsar sites in Pakistan, out of which nine are located in Sindh alone. Keenjhar is one of the most important protected sites because of its wetlands. Thousands of people from Karachi regularly visit the lake for picnics, especially in the summer. Another Ramsar site, the Haleji Lake, has also been polluted since it also gets water from the KB feeder. Despite the importance of these water bodies, the provincial government has not taken any notice of the pouring of industrial waste in the feeder.

On contacting the on-duty officer of SID at control room Kotri barrage, Gul Muhammad Shoro said that normally the KB feeder supplied 2,500 to 3,500 cusecs in 24 hours, out of which about 1,200 cusecs were for Karachi, but after increasing the daily discharge on Saturday, it has reached 4,200 cusecs and it will be increased to 6,500 cusecs by Sunday morning.

“That’s very hopeful, but authorities must guarantee a permanent solution to this situation, so that the country’s largest city may get fresh water and the two Ramsar sites can be protected,” said Imtiaz Leghari of Ideal Rural Development Programme.

Sunday, September 06, 2009

Daily Times