DADU: A large number of people living along the embankments of Manchhar Lake on Friday held a march to protest against non-functioning of 41 out of the 60 reverse osmosis (RO) plants installed in around 100 settlements of the fishermen community.

Led by Manchhar Bachayo Ittehad (MBI) chairman Maula Bukhsh Mallah and village elders Manzoor Khan Jamali, Sono Khan, Juman, Al(bar, Mohammed Usman and Qasim Mallah, the protesters marched through different areas along the embankments raising slogans againstthe ofhcials concernedfornotpaying attention to their desperate calls for safe drinking water.

The MBI chief told local reporters that the 61 RO plants were installed to cater to the needs ofseveralthousand people belongingto the fishermen community but as many as 41 of them had been lying non-functional for many months. He said the affected people were left with no other option but to use contaminated lake water both for drinking and cooking purposes. He said waterborne diseases were onthe rise in the affected villages and this problem had now become more serious due to unavailability of proper health facilities and medicine in the area. Mr Mallah said repeated calls for the repair and rehabilitation of the plants hadfallen on deafears sofar.

In reply to a question, Mr Mallah said that the RO plants at Balhan, Band Manchhar, Abdul Karim Mallah, Ibrahim Rodhnani, Sono Khan Rodhnani, Girkano, Daim Ji Miani, Yousuf Jamali, Safi Thalho, Zero Point, Radhani Mori, Ali Hassan Shahani, Kandi Ji Miani, Kando Bozdar, Khair Mohammad, Abad and Nangar Khan Brohi villages had been lying non-functional.

In reply to another question, he said 24 of the RO plants were operated and maintained by the Right Bank Outfall Drain-II (RBOD-II), 20 by the Pak Oasis firm and 16 by the irrigation department officials at Sehwan.

Manzoor Jamali said that several million rupees were released every month to the officials/authorities concerned for the operation and maintenance of the plants but no money was spent on the proper functioning of the facilities. He said the local people were compelled to agitate after their sufferings turnedunbearable due to the spread of waterborne diseases and unavailability of proper treatment facilities in the area.

He pointed out that environmental pollution and contamination of lake water were increasing with each passing day as no measures were being taken to clean the lake and purify its water.

Mohammed Usman said that a large number of patients, mostly women and children, in scores of villages were waiting for medical teams and medicines but the authorities concerned remained indifferent to their woes.

The village elders appealed to the Supreme Court and Sindh High Court to take suo motu notice of the issue and direct the chief minister and other authorities concerned to pay due attention to the problem. They also called for action against the negligent officials concerned as well as corrupt elements.

On his part, Sehwan irrigation engineer Zaheer Memon told reporters that his department had handed over most of the RO plants to the Sindh special initiatives department [itself non-functional since February this year] last year. He said the department was no more responsible for their operation and maintenance.