Save Ramsar sites

IN the second week of September about 35 buffaloes wroth Rs 2.5 million died in villages around the Nerri Lake in Badin district. The buffaloes had consumed water from the Nerri Lake.

So far no one has come to help the families who have lost their buffaloes, a source of their income.

Unfortunately, the department and the organisation concerned are not doing anything to save the ecology of the lake, which is being destroyed by the Left Bank Outfall Drainage effluent, as well as by continuous flow of poisonous chemicals from some sugar mills in Badin district.

Since 2004 the LBOD’s poisonous effluent is flowing into the lake, while some sugar mills of Badin district have been pouring dangerous chemicals into it since the 90s. This has destroyed the ecosystem of the lake.

Sadly, there are no treatment plants with these mills. Although the locals, particularly the poor fisherfolks, have shown great concern about the lake being polluted, nothing is being done.

Once this lake had enough flora and fauna and was a great source of livelihoods for the poor fishermen and peasants, but now it is almost ruined.

We are blessed with rich wetlands which have unique biodiversity and habitat. To this day, Pakistan has 19 Ramsar sites which have been seriously degraded over the last 50 years due to unsustainable national policies on water and environment.

I would request government and non — government agencies working on environment in Pakistan to start prompt investigation into the matter and adopt measures to save natural resources of the country. I would also request the Ramsar organisation to help enforce the Convention of Wetlands in Pakistan.

ABDULLAH KHOSO
Karachi
http://dawn.com/2008/10/01/letted.htm#4