JAMSHORO – The situation at Manchar Lake, the largest natural freshwater lake in Pakistan, is becoming critical with each passing day, threatening the lives and assets of the residents of five union councils of Jamshoro district.
The lake is located 18 km away from Sehwan Sharif in Jamshoro District and Dadu District, west of the Indus River. The water level at the lake further increased to 123 Reduced Level (RL) amid strong winds.
Jamshoro Deputy Commissioner Capt (retd) Fariduddin Mustafa on Saturday issued evacuation orders for the people of the five UCs, saying that they should move out to safer places.
The Sehwan Airport, an installation of an oil company as well as Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah’s home village, are located in the five UCs – Bubak, Aarazi, Wahar, Jaffarabad and Channa.
During his recent visit to Manchhar Lake, the Sindh chief minister said that the water level in the lake would be dangerous if it reached to 123 feet, which at that time was 120.75 feet.
The lake’s gushing water flooded two rural towns – Jhangara and Bajara – and surrounding villages on Saturday.
The villages and towns are particularly endangered by the rising water pressure on the lake’s embankments after deluging Jhangara and Bajara towns.
“The next 24 hours will be very critical,” the DC said. “We are keeping a watch on the banks day and night.”
The road links of many small towns and villages with Sehwan are already under water. The lake is receiving around 40,000 cusecs water from Main Nara Valley (MNV) drain and the hill torrents. However, only around 25,000 cusecs is being released in the Indus River and 15,000 cusecs retained in the lake.
However, Sindh Irrigation Minister Jam Khan Shoro gave a ray of hope provided that the lake’s embankments sustained the bulging water pressure for a couple of days more.
