KARACHI: Authorities Sunday breached the Manchhar Lake’s dyke to save the country’s largest lake and reduce the pressure of water entering the reservoir amid catastrophic floods across the country. People of over 40,000 villages were affected by the breach.
Sehwan’s Deputy Commissioner Captain (retd) Fariduddin Mustafa said that a cut had been made in the dyke of Manchhar Lake at RD-14 near Baug-e-Yusuf. It is the largest natural freshwater lake in Pakistan and one of the largest lakes in Asia.
“After the breach, the water will enter the Indus River by passing through Kiranpur village and Indus Link,” according to the Sindh Irrigation Department. The breach will reduce the pressure of water entering the lake by 30pc, said officials. “The next 24 to 48 hours are crucial for the lake,” the deputy commissioner said, adding that there was pressure on the lake’s dykes from RD-54 to RD-58.