Breach made in Manchar Lake dyke to save Dadu, Sehwan

HYDERABAD: Government of Sindh has made a breach in a dyke in Manchar Lake to avoid inundation of major towns in the area and save their population.

The authorities made a breach in Manchar Lake’s dyke at the RD-14 point on the advice of experts in an attempt to save Pakistan’s largest lake and reduce the water pressure entering the reservoir amid catastrophic floods.

Addressing a press conference in Hyderabad, Sindh Minister of Information Sharjeel Inam said the breach in the bank of the lake was made at a place where there would be minimal damage to the infrastructure and people.

The minister further said water level in Manchar Lake had reached to a dangerous level and there was a danger that the lake would start overflowing and inundate Sehwan and Bhan Saeedabad towns which have large populations.

Sharjeel Inam said the technical breach will affect 125,000 people in six union councils. He said the government has already evacuated the population to safe places in nearly districts.

He shared that the cut has been made at the place where Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah’s house is located, adding that the chief minister is personally monitoring the situation

According to the Sindh Irrigation Department, after the breach, the water will enter Indus River by passing through Kiranpur village and Indus Link. The breach will reduce the pressure of water entering the lake by 30%, said the officials.

Sehwan’s Deputy Commissioner Captain (retd) Fariduddin Mustafa said that the cut was made in the dyke of Manchar Lake at RD-14 near Baug-e-Yusuf. He said the next 24 to 48 hours are crucial for Manchar Lake as there is pressure on the lake’s dykes from RD-54 to RD-58.

Manchar Lake is the largest natural freshwater lake in Pakistan and is one of the largest lakes in Asia. It is located 18 km away from Sehwan Sharif in Jamshoro District and Dadu District, west of the Indus River.

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