Concerns expressed over destruction of Indus Delta

SUKKUR: Experts and environmentalists at a seminar organised here on Thursday expressed grave concerns over the destruction of Indus Delta due to a lack of flowing water in the Kotri downstream of the Indus River. They said the paucity of water in Kotri downstream has severely affected aquatic organism, plants and wildlife. They appealed to the quarters concerned to conduct further research on the Indus Delta in order to know about the exact statistics of destruction. They demanded that steps be taken to ensure the supply of water towards Kotri downstream in the required quantity so that the sea rise might be halted which had been playing havoc in the concerned areas.

The experts were addressing a seminar titled “Climate Change in Indus Delta” organised by the Coastal Studies Research Center of the Sindh University Thatta Campus in collaboration with the WWF-Pakistan.

The seminar was presided over by Pro-Vice Chancellor (PVC), Dr Rafique Ahmed Memon. In his presidential remarks, Dr Rafique Ahmed Memon said that the climate change, increase in pollution and non-supply of required fresh water to the Arabian Sea through the Indus River below Kotri Barrage had wreaked havoc in Thatta and Badin districts and the sea level had risen from time to time, which had resulted in devastation of fertile lands and affected the local population.

“Dangerous environmental effects can be felt on the vast Indus Delta of Sindh. This is alarming for local populace, aquatic as well as wildlife,” he said.

Director Coastal Research Studies Center Dr Mukhtiar Ahmed Mahar said the sea was advancing and destroying the productive land of the Delta as well as forests. He added that Zulfiqarabad and other projects in the name of development had severely affected the wildlife and aquatic existence in Delta.

Environmentalist Saeedul Islam said that out of 123 countries in the world, the Delta of Sindh had reached the number one position in terms of destruction of forests and trees, while out of eight varieties of tamarind, only four varieties were surviving.

He said that due to lack of water in Kotri downstream, the forests were at the verge of collapse as no plants and trees were growing due to scarcity of fresh water.