20000321

Cleaning of

Haleji lake

ordered

KARACHI: Unwanted grass and weeds in Haleji lake have resulted in a decline in the number of migratory birds from Siberia and an alarming fall in production of fish.

These observations were made by Sindh Minister of Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Wildlife Iftikhar Soomro while presiding over a meeting on cleaning of Haleji lake.

He said Haleji lake was an important heritage of Sindh, and expressed concern that unchecked growth of weed and made the lake unusable by birds and wildlife.

The minister directed the irrigation department, Karachi Water and Sewerage Board, and Environmental Protection Agency to immediately start work on removal of weeds and cleaning of the lake to preserve the natural habitat, wildlife and the ecosystem.

He expressed the hope that after the restoration of the ecosystem, the number of migratory birds would increase, which would in turn attract local and foreign visitors to the lake.

The secretary of wildlife and forestry Shams-ul-Haque Memon told the meeting that one de-weeder obtained from the Water Board was being used for removing unwanted grass, and the government has requested three more de-weeders for completing the task.

He said after the completion of cleaning, work on rearing of water fowl, crocodiles and hong deer would be undertaken at an accelerated pace. He said the department was planning to setup a visitors centre, platforms for anglers and lookout points for bird watchers. He said trained guards would be posted on the lake.

The conservator of the Haleji lake, Mahboob Alam Ansari said every year more than 223 different kinds of birds visit Haleji, which is spread over the area of 6.58 square miles.ÑPPI