Speaking at the seminar organised at Sindh Agriculture University (SAU) in Tando Jam, in connection with World Rivers Day under the WWF-Pakistan's Mangroves conservation project, the panellists maintained that altering river flows by constructing dams and canals affects access to water, food production, green belts and economic activities along with the entire Indus River system. He pointed out that rapid urbanisation and industrialisation were resulting in dumping of solid waste and wastewater in freshwater bodies, which impacted wildlife. Meanwhile, WWF-Pakistan Conservation Manager Hamera Aisha stressed that free flow of the Indus River could give a new life to the people of the Indus Delta as well as the wildlife there. "Freshwater flows should be regularised as it has multiple environmental benefits for humans, wildlife and nature as a whole," she said. Meanwhile, SAU Training Director Dr Muhammad Ismail Kumbhar highlighted that free-flowing rivers and other water bodies also reduce the risk of floods.

Source: The Express Tribune September 30, 2020 03:45 UTC