THATTA, Oct, 13: Pakistan Peoeple’s Party MPA from Thatta coastline Humaira Alwani has said execution of the mega project of Zulfikarabad will help minimise the growing graph of sea intrusion and revive the devastating eco-system along some 135km stretch of the Thatta coastal belt.

Speaking to reporters after visiting about six villages along the coastal belt, she said the new project would also help boost the collapsing economy of this tail-end district.

Her visit was aimed at persuading the local population about the benefits of the city project. President Asif Ali Zardari had asked the Thatta parliamentarians to visit their areas concerned to drum up support of the people for the project.

The MPA said that during the past 100 years, water flow had reduced in the lower Indus region by over 93 per cent and the main cause of sea intrusion in the lower Sindh area was reduced freshwater flow into the sea.She said, as per an official report, 486,000 hectares (33per cent) of the delta in the coastal towns of Thatta and Badin had been degraded and 1.2 million acres of agricultural land had so far been submerged by seawater, dislocating a population of 250,000 and causing a financial loss of Rs100 billion.

Referring to reports of the IUCN, WWF and other environmental agencies, she said the situation had resulted in hyper salinity, degradation of natural existence of the delta and shrinkage of mangrove forests.

The MPA claimed that in the light of of technical reports, Zulfikarabad would help revive the coastline and reactivate life in all aspects. It would ultimately obstruct sea intrusion, help streamline the required quantum of water of the Indus into the ocean and minimise hyper salinity and open enormous avenues of earning livelihood along the coastline.

The MPA claimed that she found a majority of coastal population satisfied with the construction of the mega city. They were anxious to explore their livelihood avenues and get their next generation educated and life standard improved, she added.