KARACHI (Web Desk) – Sindh’s Irrigation Department has dismissed reports circulating on social media and in the media about pollution in Keenjhar Lake, saying laboratory test results do not confirm the claims.
Muzammil Memon, executive engineer of the Kalri Baghar Division in Thatta, said the quality of water in Keenjhar Lake was being monitored regularly and that reports circulating online about contamination were contrary to the facts.
According to Memon, the water quality of both Keenjhar Lake and the Keenjhar-Gujjo (KG) Canal, which supplies water to Karachi, is tested daily. He added that the Lake Regulator at RD 2.4, the main point where water enters the lake, was fully open.
Laboratory results showed that the water pH at the main sampling point in Keenjhar Lake was recorded at 8.3, while total dissolved solids (TDS) stood at 350 milligrams per litre. At the downstream point of the KG Canal, the water pH was recorded at 8.4.
Memon said the quality of water supplied to Karachi was also being monitored regularly. He added that the levels of the chemical substances tested in the water were within the limits prescribed by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
He said the laboratory reports therefore did not substantiate claims circulating on social media about pollution in Keenjhar Lake.
The Irrigation Department urged the public not to rely on unverified reports and rumours and advised residents to obtain information about water quality from authentic official sources.
The department said monitoring of Keenjhar Lake and the water supply system serving Karachi would continue to ensure regular checks on water quality.
Keenjhar Lake, also known as Kalri Lake, is an important water reservoir in Sindh. According to the Sindh Irrigation Department, it supplies water to Karachi through the Keenjhar-Gujjo Canal and plays a major role in meeting the city’s domestic and industrial water requirements.