Authorities have advised residents of Jamshoro, Hyderabad and Kotri not to drink water drawn from the Indus River after dissolved solids in the river rose to dangerous levels within a month.
The warning follows a letter from the Kotri Barrage Engineer to the Superintending Engineer of the Baghiar Circle in Hyderabad. The letter states that the concentration of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) in the river has climbed sharply, making the water harmful for consumption in the three cities.
Total Dissolved Solids measured 660 milligrams per litre in September and reached 940 milligrams per litre on October 1, an increase of nearly 43 percent. The letter also notes a rise in toxic and harmful elements in the water supplied to residents.
Officials said that drinking contaminated water can cause kidney disease, hepatitis, and skin and stomach infections. They cautioned that a failure to act promptly could lead to a public health emergency in the affected cities.
The letter calls for a ban on the discharge of untreated wastewater from Manchar Lake and the Matiari Sugar Mill into the river. It also demands the immediate release of additional freshwater from Sukkur Barrage towards Kotri to dilute the contamination.
