HYDERABAD: Sindh Minister for Environment, Parliamentary Affairs and Coastal Development Dr Sikandar Mandhro has said the Sindh Assembly has recently introduced a legislation to overcome environmental pollution and to use domestic waste for energy production.

He said wind mill projects would also be set up in coastal areas to meet energy shortage.

Speaking at an earth day programme in Mumtaz Mirza Hall of Sindh Museum on Wednesday, he said different factors, including deforestation, increasing population and disposal of effluent in water bodies, contributed to environmental pollution which was threatening everyone on the earth.

Calling for collective efforts to save environment,he said research works for meeting challenges confronting environmental pollution would be given priority and the government would ensure their implementation on recommendations forwarded by different forums. Such programmes should be held in different districts and areas where Keenjhar and Manchhar lakes were located to create awareness in community about environmental issues.

He said: “In our part of the world, people generally do not discharge their responsibility unlike foreign countries where community owns government organisations.”

Prof Dr Abdul Khaliq Ansari said data regarding water of Keenjhar, Manchhar and other water bodies should be made public and their samples should be analysed. He discussed pollution caused by canal and ground water resources.

Nasir Panhwar referred to an international organisation survey in 2007 which indicated that climate change was the main cause of environmental pollution. He said disasters had increased in Sindh and environmental pollution was causing loss of Rs1 billion a day.

He said famine, floods and heavy rains were caused by climatic changes which were threatening system and this could be tackled through adaptation.

Dr Ali Murtaza Dharejo spoke of earth day and said water samples in Sindh indicated presence of hazardous contents in them, which was a very serious phenomenon. He said collective efforts were needed to save earth because it gave different resources worth Rs33 trillion every year.

Dr Yar Mohammad Khuhawar said 2010 super floods had exposed the issue of contamination of Manchhar Lake, but still initiatives should be taken to check inflow of waste water from up-country into the lake.

Prof Qalandar Shah Lakiari said the earth was the only planet which had life and blamed the US for not complying with environmental laws, though it contributed largely to environmental pollution.

Environmental Protection Agency Director General Naeem Ahmed Mughal said there were different factors which ultimately led to pollution and EPA was taking measures to tackle the situation.