The flip side of floods
Life in the katcha area adjoining the River Indus is returning to normal as water in the river begins to recede after the latest floods. People return to repair their damaged homes — as they do every year after floods — and prepare fields for cultivation. Interestingly, while generally people dread floods which are now becoming an annual occurrence, people of Sindh’s coastal belt consider it a good omen, as instead of causing much harm it brings abundant livelihood and happiness for them. The reason: it restores a heavily degenerated ecological system.
After causing havoc upstream, when the flood water enters Kotri downstream, which is the most degraded part of Indus basin starting from Hyderabad all the way till it drops into the sea, its advantages surpass its disadvantages. As the riverbed in this part remains dry and barren most of the year with the arrival of fresh water, the flora and fauna in the area takes a new birth; the landscape changes from caked-earth that was formed due to lack of water to gushing streams. For the people whose sustenance entirely depends on fishing, or for those whose lands become infertile due to ever increasing sea water intrusion, this flooding is no less a blessing. The radiant faces of fishermen in Thatta and Sujawal district bear testimony to the fact that biodiversity, as well as economy of this area that is hit hard by climate change is dependent on fresh water in the Indus.
The Kotri downstream, unlike other katcha areas of the Indus basin, gets water only during high flood;
additionally, as the river inches towards the Arabian Sea to form a delta, it expands its bed resulting in an inundation of a huge area and trigger a wide variety of activities. The inundated parts are either used by the forest department for aforestation purposes, or by the local population for cultivation.
Floods brings devastation, destruction and despair but in certain areas receding water after the flooding brings hope and livelihood
“A major chunk of the province’s tree cover consist of riverine and mangrove forests located in this area and their survival is essentially linked with fresh water of the river,” says Manoj Kumar, Range Forest Officer Thatta. “Fresh water brings alluvial soil from its catchment areas which increases soil productivity. We avail of this opportunity every year by planting the seeds of Babool tree in the katcha area,” he added. The forest department’s media archive reveals that last year the same exercise was carried out on more than 7,000 acres of inundated forest land.
Moreover, the inflow of a considerable amount of fresh water into the low-lying delta proves to be an elixir of life for the majority of species which are on the verge of extinction. Unfortunately, considering the extent to which the Indus delta is degraded, one can easily say that this is not a frequent happening. Over the years, sea water has considerably intruded the river’s territory, resulting in water-logging and subsequent infertility of the soil.