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May 6, 2004
Troubled lives
The fishermen of Keti Bunder are living in abject poverty. The Indus delta ecosystem is threatened by the decrease in fresh water and sea intrusion, resulting in loss of mangroves, fish and shrimp stocks, reports Shazman Shariff
Sajawal, a fisherman from the coastal area of Keti Bunder, situated 80 miles away from Thatta, listlessly roams barefoot around town all day. The impoverished condition he and his community are having to endure is depicted by the worn-out clothes he wears and by the dejected look on his face.
Nearly 1.5 million fishermen live along the coastal region. However, the depleting resources of the Indus delta due to an imbalance in the ecosystem have put the survival of the population at stake. They are unable to make ends meet, as fishing is no more a profitable occupation. As these people are not skilled in any other profession they cannot turn to other sources for income.
To highlight Keti Bunder’s fishing community’s problems and focus on the challenges faced by the ecosystem of the delta World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Karachi, together with Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum and Strengthening Participatory Organization (an NGO from Hyderabad) organized an interactive programme with the locals. The event was held in conjunction with Earth Day celebrations on April 22 and the slogan for the day was: “We must be the change we wish to see in the world.”
Keti Bunder is a slum dwelling and over the years hundreds of inhabitants have migrated to other towns due to the deplorable living conditions. Currently, just 3,000 people live in the village.
“What I earn by fishing is hardly enough to support my household,” says Sajawal. He has a household of 10 who routinely go to bed without food. On days when he hasn’t got a good catch of fish he spends the day looking for jobs. He wishes he knew some other skill; he could have made a modest living.
Sajawal’s predicament is faced by countless other men living along the delta, for whom the primary and traditional means of livelihood has been fishing, along with agriculture and raising livestock. It is said that once this region was rich in natural resources that enabled the inhabitants to maintain a better standard of living.
The community is plagued with poverty due to the construction of dams which has had a devastating ecological impact on the Indus delta ecosystem. These dams reduced the active delta from 26,000 sq kms to approximately 1,190 sq kms, according to an IUCN report.
The shortage of fresh water in the river Indus is the main challenge faced by the delta. The water accord of 1991 stipulated a provision of 10 million acre foot (MAF) water to maintain the delta’s ecosystem, but in 2000/2001 the delta received less than 1 MAF water. On the other hand the IUCN recommends a minimum flow of 35 MAF water to maintain the ecological balance in the delta.
Moreover, in this area the fertile land has gradually degraded due to intrusion of the sea. Officially, it is reported that Keti Bunder has lost 113,900 acres of land to the sea. As a result of lack of fresh water in the area livestock rearing and agriculture has suffered badly.
“We were much better off 20 years ago. Then earning was not a problem since there was no water shortage, and agriculture was a lucrative occupation,” an inhabitant said. He remembered the good times when he earned thousands of rupees a month by supplying vegetables to the city.
The devastation caused to the mangroves’ ecosystem has been recorded by studies jointly conducted by IUCN and WWF. According to these studies the total area of mangroves along the delta has been reduced from 160,000 hectares, in the early 90s, to 80,000 hectares today. This is a result of the decline in fresh water which is necessary for mangroves to maintain the balance with salinity levels.
Mangroves primarily serve as a nursery for fish and shrimps and additionally provide wood for fuel and fodder for livestock. A total of 150 species of fish depend on it. Due to these ecological threats the Indus delta has been listed as an ecosystem of global significance by the WWF.
Furthermore, fish stock has declined immensely at Keti Bunder. Locals said that some fishermen with political backing used huge trawlers and violated the fishing rules, and were responsible for the threat to the survival of various breeds of fish.
“There is no law for the men associated with the fishing mafia as they indulge in deep sea fishing and use fine net,” a local fisherman said. He added that many fishermen used the banned gujja and kutra nets, which trapped young fish that had not even laid eggs. He also alleged that, “They have no fear of the law. They bribe the police and never get caught.”
The WWF has recorded a decline of fish stock and shrimp. According to the organization palla fish (Tenualosa ilisha) has decreased from 10,000 metric tonnes in 1970 to 400-600 metric tonnes in 1998. Likewise, the jaira shrimp has decreased from 10,000 metric tonnes in 1971 to 5,311 metric tonnes in the late 1990s.
Elaborating on the various problems of the people, one of the locals said they had no facility for drinking water. “We have to get water from far away villages or get a tanker from adjoining areas which charges Rs500-700,” he said. “If the family is small it lasts for 15 days, otherwise it finishes much sooner.”
Non-availability of potable water is causing health problems. A dispenser at the public dispensary said that dysentery is on the rise. “Health facilities are next to nothing here,” he said. “The supply of medicines is inadequate. It is worse for women as there is no specialist to treat them for gynaecological complications.”
Poverty is giving rise to other evils, for instance theft. Although people are living a hand to mouth existence, anyone who is slightly well off can become a target. Some people have resorted to selling snakes to earn a livelihood as snakes fetch a good price in the city.
While giving information about the activities of women, Zuleka said the majority of them stayed at home and earned money by cleaning fish and shrimps. Making fish nets was also lucrative work, but for many years there has been a slump in the business. “I also know how to stitch quilts and I get Rs100 for one. I could make more money but I don’t get enough orders,” she said. She is burdened with raising six children and looking after her invalid husband.
Giving a brief about the implementation of the coastal livelihood project sponsored by the European Union at Keti Bunder and other coastal regions of Sindh and Balochistan, Naseer Memon, conservation manager of WWF Sindh, said they had involved local communities, NGOs and government departments to take initiatives to ensure sustenance of natural resources in the region.
“Natural resources have been sustaining their survival for ages. Our aim is to uplift the area rather than introduce them to skills they are unfamiliar with. Switching professions might not prove beneficial as fishing and agriculture come to them naturally,” said Memon.
WWF is also concentrating on planning strategies and legal policies to stop deep-sea fishing and use of fine nets. Furthermore, it aims to work for the rehabilitation of degenerated land.
Oppressed by poverty, people look for escape from the realities of life. Nothing provides them more relief than a pinch of ghutka openly sold at shops at cheap rates. Men, women and children are all hooked on it and make no bones about how it helps them put on a brave face against the harshness of life. “People buy it just the same way that they buy ration,” said one resident.
Birad, a chronic ghutka addict, had his teeth coated with red colour. “I will die of tension if I don’t take it as there are many worries in life. I know it is bad for health, but then wouldn’t it be better if I die than live in this poverty.”
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