Sea has devoured tail end of Indus, says Shoro

It has swallowed more than 2.2 million hectares of land due to decline in water inflow in the delta

KARACHI:

The tail of the Indus River has been devoured by sea, said Sindh Irrigation Minister Jam Khan Shoro in a meeting with the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian (UNRH) delegation led by Julien Harneis.

Shoro said that the Indus River is the economic lifeline of the province, but the sea has swallowed more than 2.2 million hectares of land due to decline in water inflow in the delta.

There is very little water in the river downstream the Kotri Barage, Shoro told the UN team that had called on him at his office to discuss Indus River Basin and issues like water scarcity and its impact on the agriculture sector, climate change, and improve water access, utilisation and economic development. He said that Sindh province is facing water scarcity in the Indus Basin.

The province faces various ecological and climate change issues and problems like sea intrusion. There is almost no water in the Indus Delta downstream Kotri Barage and in the absence of river flow, sea water makes incursion in the delta. The Indus delta - being the south-eastern districts of Sindh - faces a critical problem of sea intrusion due to acute water shortage. He said that the Indus delta is devastated by water scarcity in the Indus River.

The required amount of water would not reach downstream Kotri due to the water shortage, resulting in the province's agricultural sector being heavily affected.

Harneis informed that his team would visit different areas of Sindh province, including Sukkur, Hyderabad, Thatta, Badin, and the other regions, to learn about people's situation and observe the ongoing development projects of the United Nations in the province. He further added that they would also visit Sukkur Barrage, the historical places of Sukkur, Hyderabad, Thatta and Badin districts, and learn about the different cultural and traditional aspects. On this occasion, Shoro presented Sindhi Topi and Ajraks to delegation members.