NA committee on science to discuss sea intrusion.

Byline: Jamal Shahid

ISLAMABAD -- The National Assembly's Standing Committee on Science and Technology will meet on Tuesday to discuss amendments to a bill titled National Institute of Oceanography, 2019.

The National Institute of Oceanography has faced continuous challenges to stop sea intrusion and erosion caused not just by rising sea levels, but also the phenomenon of sediment starvation - a situation when rivers carry minimal debris to delta areas.

During a meeting of the Senate on the issue in March this year, it was noted that of the 16 creeks of Indus Delta, only one, Khobar Creek, now transfers water from the main river to the sea.

It was noted during the meeting that high levels of wave energy and little or no sediment deposits from the Indus River is transforming the delta into a wave dominated setting.

Satellite data acquired from Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) also shows significant loss of land since the 1970s, and that sand dunes, which used to serve as natural defenders against sea intrusion are also eroding rapidly.

Without sand dunes, soil and mud areas will be exposed, which will be easily submerge under seawater.

Thousands of acres of fertile land in Indus Delta have already been lost to sea intrusion, affecting some 1.5 million people and displacing many.

Last week, during a meeting of Functional Committee of Senate on Human Rights, a senior official from Ministry of Climate Change informed lawmakers that the sea intrusion could inundate land as far as Hyderabad in the next 20 to 30 years.

In March 2018, National Institute of Oceanography, along with Pakistan Navy and Suparco, suggested Rs650 million project on 'Monitoring the Sea Water Intrusion, Sea Level Rise, Coastal Erosion and Land Subsidence along Sindh and Balochistan Coast'. However, the Ministry of Planning, Development and Reform, reduced the amount to Rs411 million and because of it many key project components of satellite imagery and surveys were omitted.

Besides demanding involvement of other departments such as Revenue, Forest, Irrigation, coastal development...

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