KHARO CHHAN (Thatta), June 7: The residents of Kharo Chhan and Keti Bunder have demanded the revival of the scrapped coastal mega projects, including a 5,000 mega watt power project and Keti Bunder mini port-cum-fish harbour.

They were speaking at a gathering here the other day when a team of journalists, doctors and social workers from Karachi and Thatta had come here to witness the ecological and environment devastation and problems of the poverty-ridden population in the deltaic area.

The delta dwellers said if the projects, inaugurated by the former premier Benazir Bhutto during her last tenure, had not been scrapped by her successor, the economic situation of both the tail-end districts of Thatta and Badin in particular and Sindh in general would have been different today.

They also showed the visitors the remains of deteriorated farms of banana, sugarcane, pan and bamboo and agricultural fields ruined due to non-release of water in the River Indus and hyper salinity in the area.

They complained of the excessive attitude of the Coast Guards personnel, saying that on pretext of checking the guards abused and often thrashed people and deprived them of their commodities including butter, milk, eggs and hens.