LARKANA: Government authorities have slowly been poisoning the citizens of Larkana by discharging sewerage water into the Rice Canal. The contaminated water of the Rice Canal is not only being used for drinking purpose by a large number of villages, but it is also making underground drinking water of Larkana unfit for human consumption. According to details, the project of not to dispose of sewage water into Rice Canal has so far failed here as out of 28 disposal points, 13 are still throwing unhygienic water into the Rice Canal which is flowing in the heart of the city due to which Canal looks like a huge & main gutter line. The underground water has also become highly contaminated having harmful bacteria which is why dreaded diseases like Hepatitis are on the rise. The cost of the scheme is Rs: 1400 million and the entire population of about one million of Larkana has not yet benefitted from this scheme. The project was approved in 2012-13 by Sindh Government which was to be completed in 2016 but lying of huge pipelines work in the city is still underway and so far 25 percent of the work has been completed. Road sides have been dug up causing flying dust and creating traffic problems for the citizens. Connections of as many 13 out of 28 disposals have so far been disconnected and sent to Irrigation SCARP Draining Division’s large ponds located near Mashori Sharif village. As many as 11 lift motors have been installed to drain out accumulated sewage water from drainage division’s ponds to throw into Rice Canal. Ironically during electricity load shedding, these ponds also overflow which cause serious health problems besides environmental issues. In this connection Larkana Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) Executive Engineer Abdul Wahab Sahto, told media on Wednesday that Rs:1300 million have been released, underground pipelines are being laid and 75% work has been completed, he further claimed. Sahto confessed that the scheme was to be completed in 2016 but now it will be completed on or before June 2018. Engineer Sahto said that their three huge ponds would also be completed which are located near Wada Mahar village, sewage water of the disposals will be thrown into these ponds and then it will be lifted further. He further claimed that 15 disposals sewage water out of 28 is not being disposed of into Rice Canal.