HYDERABAD, Jan 17: A seminar on "Environmental, Social and Cultural Impact of Water Scarcity on Sindh" has recommended that the 1991 water accord being a consensus document should be implemented in letter and in spirit.

The concluding session of the two-day national seminar, organized by the M. A. Kazi Institute of Chemistry, University of Sindh, Jamshoro, on Friday further recommended that water should be distributed according to provisions of the accord.

A committee, headed by Dr Abida Tahirani and with Dr Mohammad Iqbal Bhanghwar and Dr Parvez Pathan as its members, drafted the re-commendations which were unanimously adopted at the seminar.

The seminar said no new dams and canals should be constructed as no surplus water was available in the Indus River.

It called for adopting measures downstream Kotri to protect environment, ecology and marine life and to mitigate human sufferings.

It recommended that 27 million acre feet water, as recorded by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as the minimum requirement, should be released downstream Kotri throughout the year.

The recommendations said research studies below Kotri should be carried out to understand the extent of damage caused by water scarcity, especially in the delta region.

The seminar proposed that the management and operation of dams and link canals should be streamlined and it should be ensured that no water was diverted till the water share of lower riparian under the water accord was released.

It called for shelving the greater Thal canal project.

It said water requirements of wetlands which were directly affected by climatic changes should be assessed and adequate water supply be ensured to maintain the water balance.

An integrated approach should be adopted in consultation with coastal communities to preserve mangroves, it further said.

The seminar demanded that sediments should be removed from existing dams and barrages.

It proposed the launching of a mitigation programme to alleviate sufferings of the people of Thar.

Nine experts read their papers at the three sessions of the seminar on the second day.

Prof Dr Saeed Ahmad Wagan in his paper focused on rare species and their natural history.

He said due to the scarcity of water, these species were faced with the threat of extinction.

Dr Tasneem Kazi in her paper on bottled mineral water said most of the brands did not come up to the WHO water quality standards and were not safe for drinking.

Rahat Jahan of the WWF in her paper on impact of water scarcity on wetlands in Sindh called upon governments to adopt adequate measures to protect wetlands.

Prof Ghulam Hussain Wagan, Saeed Ahmad Soomro, M. Tahir Qureshi and others also spoke on the occasion.

IUCN representative Nasir Ali Panhwar showed a documentary and told the audience that his organization had also prepared a documentary on three talukas of the Thatta district.

SU vice-chancellor Mazharul Haq Siddiqui presided over the session.