THATTA, March 14: Wilson Lee, a representative of National Endowment Democracy (NED) from the USA, said on Wednesday that the construction of barrages on the Indus River and non-release of water downstream Kotri had ruined the delta.

Talking to journalists after visiting coastal belt and the villages worst affected by 1999 cyclone accompanied by Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum Chairman Mohammad Ali Shah, Abu Bakar Shaikh, Hajan Solangi and Gulab Shah Mr Lee said that the civilised nations of the world had taken concrete measures to develop and generate resources from their coastlines but Pakistan’s coastal belt was in miserable condition and required special attention of authorities.

He said that the sea intrusion had so far inundated 2.2 million acres of fertile land and forced a large population of fishermen to migrate to urban areas after shrinkage of the resources of their livelihood.

The environmental pollution, poverty, unemployment, illiteracy and rising graph of underground brackish water in the area had compelled people to desert the delta, he said.

Mr Lee added that the government would have to take special measures to revitalise the country’s deltaic sites.