‘Sea intrusion wrecking Badin,
DHABEJI:
The coastal areas of Badin and Thatta districts have been devastated by sea intrusion that covers around 80 hectares of the land by brackish water daily, said culture minister Sassui Palijo.
Talking to delegations of farmers and social workers on Friday, she said that water is brackish as fresh river water is not released downstream Kotri barrage. “People from the coastal areas in the two districts are vulnerable to hepatitis and waterborne diseases as they consume subsoil saline water,” she explained. The minister added that residents of the coastal areas were migrating to other districts due to the worsening conditions in their areas.
Things can be improved if the government takes emergency measures and announces a special package for the development of coastal areas, she said, adding that the district administration has insufficient funds to cope with such a calamity. She appealed to the chief minister and the Sindh irrigation minister to take notice of the situation and make arrangements for the provision of drinking water for the people of the coastal areas.
Published in the Express Tribune, May 22nd, 2010.
The coastal areas of Badin and Thatta districts have been devastated by sea intrusion that covers around 80 hectares of the land by brackish water daily, said culture minister Sassui Palijo.
Talking to delegations of farmers and social workers on Friday, she said that water is brackish as fresh river water is not released downstream Kotri barrage. “People from the coastal areas in the two districts are vulnerable to hepatitis and waterborne diseases as they consume subsoil saline water,” she explained. The minister added that residents of the coastal areas were migrating to other districts due to the worsening conditions in their areas.
Things can be improved if the government takes emergency measures and announces a special package for the development of coastal areas, she said, adding that the district administration has insufficient funds to cope with such a calamity. She appealed to the chief minister and the Sindh irrigation minister to take notice of the situation and make arrangements for the provision of drinking water for the people of the coastal areas.
Published in the Express Tribune, May 22nd, 2010.