Sindh victim of climate change: CM

Urges efficient use of water for agriculture

KARACHI:

Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Wednesday said that agricultural water is becoming an expensive commodity, "therefore, we need to consume it efficiently to ensure food security by changing cropping patterns."

He expressed these views while talking to Australian High Commissioner Neil Hawkins who called on him at the CM House on Wednesday.

The meeting was attended by Special Assistant to CM, Syed Qasim Naveed, Secretary to CM Rahim Shaikh while the Australian high commissioner was accompanied by First Secretary Ashleigh Light and Political Secretary Fareeha Shamim.

The Australian high commissioner expressed deep grief and sorrows over the loss of lives and properties during the recent floods.

He said that the impact of climate change has started emerging in the form of heavy downpours and scorching heat. Murad Ali Shah said that Pakistan, particularly the people of Sindh, have become the first victims of climate change.

He added that internally displaced persons (IDPs) were facing numerous problems.

Shah said that diseases like dengue, malaria and skin problems have broken out among the people living in camps and along the main roads. "We have established medical camps to provide treatment to the patients and trying to drain out accumulated water at the earliest so that these issues could be controlled," he said.

The high commissioner said that the flood water could be released into the river so that it could be discharged into the sea.

The chief minister said that unfortunately some of our people believe that releasing water into the sea through the rivers was waste [of water], as a matter of fact, it was necessary to stop sea intrusion.

Shah said that in the early Kharif we faced an acute shortage of water and then heavy downpours turned everything upside down.

According to the CM, food security could only be ensured by introducing low delta and high-yield crops. "Now, various varieties of rice and wheat have come in the international market which have a high yield," he said and added he was focusing on agriculture research so that desired seeds and varieties could be introduced.

The visiting diplomat and the chief minister agreed to take benefit from each other's experiences in respect of cropping patterns and high-yield crops.

Teachers Day

On the eve of World Teachers Day, the chief minister in his message said that the teacher was the most important person in society because teacher has the future of the country in his hands.

Shah said that teaching is a noble profession that shapes the character, caliber, and future of individuals.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, October 6^th, 2022.