KARACHI, Nov 21: The All Parties Conference has demanded that both federal and provincial governments should ensure at least 10 million acre feet of Indus water, downstream Kotri barrage, as envisaged in 1991 accord.

The APC, which was organized by the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum in a local hotel on Thursday, adopted a comprehensive resolution covering all aspects affecting the lives of fishermen.

Calling for an effective representation of fishermen communities in all policy-making forums related to fisheries sector, the APC demanded that no more mega irrigation projects, especially big dams, be constructed on the Indus River and the coastal population be consulted before launching any project in future on the river.

It was pointed out in the resolution that the main cause of degradation of Indus delta was a constant decrease in the flow of fresh Indus water. The flow had been decreasing with the construction of irrigation canals, dams and reservoirs on the river, it said.

Before these mega irrigation schemes, the Indus delta was ideal for agriculture production and its produce used to be exported. Even a government survey says that, due to decrease in the fresh water flow to the Indus delta region from Indus River, the sea intrusion has inundated more than 1.2 million acres of farmland in the coastal areas of Thatta and Badin districts, while the seawater had intruded as far as 30 km and 50 km in the sweet water channels, downstream Kotri Barrage, rendering thousands of acres of farmland saline, which has adversely affected the economy of local population.

Pointing out the causes of Indus delta’s degradation, the resolution said that presently more than 2,500 cusecs of the Left Bank Outfall Drain effluents, comprising pesticide residues, were thrown in the delta daily. Besides, about 300 million gallons of urban sewage of Karachi and about 37,000 tons of industrial waste, were drained into sea daily.

The latest decision to drain out the effluent of RBOD and that of Punjab, NWFP and Balochistan, would completely destroy the agriculture, fisheries and livestock sectors, on which the coastal communities depended heavily, besides harming the ecosystem of Indus delta, the parties apprehended.

Demanding stoppage of effluent being drained out in the sea, the APC pointed out that the Tasman Spirit had destroyed marine ecology and affected livelihood of 10,000 fishermen families as they could not resume their traditional fishing because of the oil contamination in the seawater.

The APC moot also demanded action against Pakistan Rangers for backing the contractors and influential people against the fishermen.

In the resolution, it was pointed out that the Rangers deployed at Badin coastal area deprived the poor fish workers of their entire catch, and frequently manhandled them to keep them under pressure.

The APC proposed that the Pakistan and Indian governments should mark their marine boundaries with signals or light houses to minimise the violation of the sea limits of both the countries by the fishermen.

License system for fishing in the inland waters should be restored in place of contract system, the moot demanded.

The coastal population of Indus Delta should be considered as the real affectees of all the irrigation projects and special programmes should be launched for their rehabilitation by providing them compensation and alternate jobs.

The APC also called for action against those who had occupied a number of Indus Delta creeks, from Korangi Creek to Sir Creek, by posting armed guards at the mouth of these creeks to stop local fishermen from fishing in those areas.

The fishing rights of the indigenous fishermen communities on coastal as well as inland waters be acknowledge in the legal framework of Pakistan, the moot demanded.