KARACHI, Dec 17: A meeting to review progress with respect to the Rs6.5 million plantations of salt-tolerant trees in the coastal areas of Sindh was reviewed at a meeting held on Friday under the chairmanship of the Director General, Coastal Development Authority, Munawar Opel.

The objectives and targets of the project, "Planting of Salt Tolerant Tree Species in the Coastal Zone of Sindh", include planting of salt/drought resistant trees species on 600 acres and raising 475,000 container plants in Thatta and Badin districts.

So far 100 out of 200 acres of land had been developed for planting salt-resistant trees. Out of 62,000 container plants to be raised during 2004-05, about 31,000 plants had been raised between July 1 and November 30, 2004.

The meeting was told that the coastal areas of Sindh were an important Eco-zone of the country. Several tropical crops were being raised due to its mild climate, which otherwise was not possible in this subtropical arid zone.

This was possible only due to the availability of perennial irrigation water from Indus Water System. But since the area was at the tail end of the Indus Basin, the water table was very near to the surface, which in turn had developed salinity due to the arid climate and capillary action. This had degraded the fertile lands of the zone.

The prolonged drought due to shortage of irrigation water and non-availability of rain had changed the soil's physiography there, which needed vegetation cover.

This project had been prepared for restoring the productivity of degraded lands by planting salinity/drought resistant tree species over 600 acres (240 hectares). The ADP provision originally kept for rearing of sea fish/shrimps in sea the creeks near Gharo had been diverted for the project.

The project was conceived keeping in view the increasing problems of wood scarcity, drought conditions and salinity particularly in the lower Indus basin. Trees being resistant to salinity would be planted as a means to increase the fertility of soil due to addition of humus for conservation of moisture. - APP