THATTA, Jan 3: People's Party Parliamentarians MPA from Thatta Humera Alwani has called upon the authorities concerned to adopt concrete measures on a war footing and order release of 10 MAF water below the Kotri barrage to keep the advancing on sea at bay.

Talking to newsmen here on Sunday, she expressed concern over colossal losses to the Indus delta and fertile lands in Badin and Thatta districts due to the sea intrusion.

Ms Alwani said about 521,865 acres land in Shah Bunder taluka, 424,419 acres in Jati taluka, 22,898-24 in Mirpur Sakro taluka, 32,060-08 acres in Ghora Bari taluka, 161,917 acres in Kharochan taluka, and 112,938 acres in Keti Bunder taluka had been swallowed by the sea.

She said the official figure of land submerged under the sea in Thatta district was 1,276,097 acres, but unofficial statistics of Kabooli "surveyed" and Na-Kabooli "non-surveyed" land, compiled by a highly reputed NGO, was around double to it and the similar was the situation in Badin district.

She said non-release of water downstream Kotri for the last couple of years had caused rapid sea intrusion, shrinkage of livelihood resources, increasing rate of salinity and devastation of the Indus delta.

She said Sindh having the cultivable area of 141,014 square kilometres at the tail of the Indus River system would be ruined if adequate measures were not adopted. She said the sea intrusion had shattered the socio economic life and displacement of the poor in the two districts.

Ms Alwani said mangrove forests in the Indus delta had been reduced from 240,000 hectares to 20,000 hectares. She said vanishing mangrove forests had reduced fodder for animals, fuel wood for indigenous communities and wood for boats-making.

Referring to the recent Indian Ocean Tsunami which killed thousands of people and affected million more in Asia and Africa, the MPA was highly critical of the government for not preserving the mangrove forests which protect the coast from cyclones and tsunamis.

She said a lack of preventive measures and precautionary sources in tail-end districts could result in disaster and displacement of millions of people. She said the government should take serious notice of the disaster and invest its all out potentials to safeguard the coast.

The MPA said the Sindh coast had already sustained huge losses due to cyclones and oceanic intrusion in the recent past. The government, MPA Alwani said, should employ internationally reputed experts and install concrete mechanism along the coastal belt to avert any future eventualities.

She said the periodic sea intrusion could only be averted by releasing at least 10 MAF water downstream Kotri every year. This will also revitalize the dying Indus delta, she concluded.