THATTA, Dec 14: Expressing concern over periodical inundation of fertile agricultural land and human settlements by sea water, PPP MPA Humera Alwani has appealed to President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to take effective measures in accordance with a unanimously adopted resolution of Sindh Assembly and help save “Laar” (lower Sindh).

Referring to the resolution adopted on Nov 25, the MPA said Sindh Assembly had recommended adequate and concrete measures to check sea intrusion.

Talking to this correspondent, Ms Alwani said that so far 1,300,941 acres of agricultural land had been submerged under the sea water in eight talukas of Thatta and Badin districts.

Giving break-up of land vanished in sea water in Thatta district, the MPA said 100 per cent land of Kharochhan , 59 per cent of Ghorabari, 86 per cent of Keti Bundar, 57 per cent of Shah Bundar and 80 per cent of Jati taluka have been inundated under the oceanic tides.

As per an estimate, the ocean is inundating on an average some 80 acres of fertile land almost everyday along Thatta costal belt, the MPA added.

Referring to her conversation with a former chieftain of Sholani tribe in Ghorabari taluka who was the owner of 5000 acres of land but was now compelled to beg in streets as his land vanished under water, she said the former landlord Darya Khan Sholani told her that within few decades some 400 villages of Thatta coastline have vanished from the map of Sindh.

She said that one of the major reason for devastation in deltaic range was failure of the government to release 10 MAF of water downstream Kotri in Indus.

The situation has also caused tremendous losses to the riverine forests of Thatta district spread over 120,142 acres on both sides of the River Indus, she said.

The MPA contended that about 1,850 million square meters of the deltaic region hitherto covered with mangroves had been reduced to only 1,000 square meters in slightly over a decade.

She also cited a recent satellite survey showing degeneration of mangroves forests in Keti Bundar and Shah Bundar areas.

Ms Humera said out of total 1,050 square miles of country’s delta, Sindh delta comprises 350 square miles and River Indus ranked 18th among the world’s biggest rivers but it was a pity that its delta was diminishing with every passing.

She apprehended that Sindh having the cultivable area of 141,014 square kilometres at the tail-end of the Indus River

System would be ruined if adequate measures were not adopted. She said the sea intrusion had shattered the socio -economic life and displacement of the poor people in the two districts.

She reminded that representatives of the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, IMF and some international donor agencies during a detailed visit of Thatta oceanic belt in 2002, had underlined the vitality of a coastal highway from Keti Bundar to Ali Bundar via Shah Bundar to open avenues of coastal development, develop jetties and to avert possible erosion in the area due to sea intrusion.

She said Punjab availed excess water than its due share from 2000 to 2007. For the Rabi 2008, Sindh will definitely face water crises.

She said Punjab was availing 3,000 Cubic Feet per Acres (Cusec) of water through Kalabagh head works, 4,000 cusec through Chashma barrage, 4,000 cusec from Taunsa barrage whereas Sindh was being denied its share of 40,000 cusec of water out of these facilities. She questioned that if the country was really facing water shortage why the water distribution was not carried out on justifiably accepted norms i.e. as per 1991 water accord.