The Senate’s Standing Committee on Science and Technology sent a letter to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif earlier this week, expressing fears of the seriousness of sea intrusion along the coastal areas of Sindh and Balochistan which can result in the sinking of Badin and Thatta in a period of 30 years, followed by Karachi.
The letter stressed that if the matter was not treated urgently, Karachi could sink come 2060.
It also demanded of the Ministry of Water and Power, Navy, National Institute of Oceanography and other national institutions to carry out research studies to prevent such a situation from arising.
The letter recommended that the issue should be forwarded to the Council of Common Interests (CCI). It also recommended the federal government allocate 50 per cent funds to Sindh for the province to adopt safety measures in Zulfiqarabad.
It said that the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) should take necessary steps to prevent possible damage to high-risk areas in future.
It further suggested that the concerned authorities strictly follow the Water Apportionment Accord, 1991, of the Indus River System among the Provinces of Pakistan.