KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Syed Murad Ali Shah on Wednesday said that irrigation water was becoming an expensive commodity; therefore, it should be used efficiently to ensure food security by changing cropping patterns.

This he said while talking to Australian High Commissioner Neil Hawkins who called on him here at the CM House.

Murad said Pakistanis, particularly the people of Sindh, had become the first victims of climate change, adding that internally displaced persons (IDPs) were facing numerous problems.

The high commissioner said the flood water could be released into the River Indus so that it could be discharged into the sea, adding that it would help maintain the stability of the ecosystem.

The CM said that food security can only be ensured by introducing low-delta and high-yield crops. “Now, various varieties of rice and wheat have come into the international market which has a high yield,” he said and added he was focusing on research so that desired seeds and varieties could be introduced.

Published in Dawn, October 6th, 2022