'The biggest reservoir of contaminated water accumulated in Manchhar lake'

KARACHI: Sindh chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that the ground water almost all over Sindh has become contaminated, therefore he is in constant touch with the experts and donor agencies to “stem the rot”.

“The biggest reservoir of contaminated water has accumulated in Manchhar lake and we are working on a plan with World Bank and European donor and expert agencies to cleanse and refresh Manchhar Lake to revive its past glory,” the chief minister said according to a statement released from his office.

He said that his government was proving water supply and drainage schemes to the rural areas of the province and simultaneously another plan was being evolved to refresh and revive ground water quality.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said that ground water all over Sindh, except a few districts used to be sweet and fresh but with the passage of time its quality went on deteriorating, as result the government has to switched over to RO plants to meet the need of drinking water in rural areas.

“The actual solution of the problem lies in adopting scientific approach for improving the quality of ground water for which I am working with World Bank and other agencies to launch a comprehensive plan to refresh and revive the aquifers,” he said during a meeting with Secretary Public Health Engineering Roshan Shaikh.

Secretary PHE Roshan Shaikh told the chief minister that in the next financial year, 169 schemes, including 96 on-going and 169 new would be completed with an estimated cost of Rs26.7 billion.

He added that the schemes to be completed, include 39 on-going water supply and 57 on-going drainage schemes during the current calendar year. The new 28 water supply and 15 drainage schemes would also be completed in the next financial year but in the current calendar year.

The PHE department meeting was attended by Minister Local Government Saeed Ghani, Chairperson P&D Naheed Shah, Secretary PHE Roshan Shaikh, Secretary Local Government Khalid Hyder Shah, Special secretary Finance Asif Jahangir, Member (Services) P&D Fatah Tunio, chief engineer PHE dept and other concerned officers.