DROUGHT ACTION POLICY: Pakistan has recently announced the National Drought Action Policy (NDAP), which has pointed out that droughts are no longer episodic disasters. Instead, they are existential threats. Erratic monsoons, rising temperatures and reduced snowfalls have disrupted the hydrological balance of the country. These changing patterns of climate undermine crop productivity, damage irrigation infrastructure and erode soil. The NDAP provides a roadmap for solutions and highlights entrenched loopholes that exist in the country’s overall governance mechanism. Floods, unseasonal monsoons and occasional droughts should be a wake-up call for us.

Aryan Kolachi
Larkana

GARBAGE DUMP: A large plot of land in our locality near the Civil Court in Kharian’s Mohallah Nisar Pura has been used as a garbage dump for a long time. Despite repeated complaints through Suthra Punjab, the response has been highly unsatisfactory. Instead of properly cleaning the area, some officials visit the area, take photographs and leave without doing anything further. On one occasion, some garbage was set afire, which created additional environmental and health hazards for area residents. The issue has been raised repeatedly, but the situation has remained unchanged.

Hassan Tahir
Kharian

PASNI FISH HARBOUR: The fish harbour in Pasni has been closed since 2010 due to siltation and negligence. The local fisherfolk community has been facing several problems due to its closure. They have to proceed to the Gwadar Port, more than 130km away, to dock their boats after fishing. In a provincial assembly session, Maulana Hidayatur Rehman of Jamaat-i-Islami had moved a resolution to restore the fish harbour. He had alleged that the funds granted for rehabilitation were spent on car purchases, foreign tours and administrative expenses. The assembly adopted the resolution, but no step has been taken since then. The fish harbour should be made functional once again.

Zaid Hameed
Turbat

Published in Dawn, May 31st, 2026