ISLAMABAD, Nov 15 (APP):Caretaker Minister for National Food Security and Research Dr Kausar Abdullah Malik on Wednesday stressed the need to take immediate measures to control environmental pollution for the conservation of natural resources and agriculture development in the country.
Addressing the launching ceremony of “Ecological Baseline Survey Report at Tharparkar (Sindh), he said that socio-economic package is indispensable for livelihood in Tharparkar.
He said that the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an academic research platform with the help of which we can solve many problems related to the environment.
Country Representative IUCN Mahmood Akhtar Cheema, ex-senator Javed Jabbar, Professor Z.B Mirza, Botanical Expert Khairpur University Dr. Muzaffar Hussain Sirohi and CEO (SECMS) Amir Iqbal also attended the ceremony.
The minister while hailing the positive initiatives and keen interest of private sectors in the environment said that water is being contaminated in some areas as piles of dirt are seen in the water, which is affecting the environment.
All stakeholders should take serious steps to eliminate that water pollution, he added.
Malik expressed his concern about water pollution and stressed the immediate need to keep the environment clean and pollution-free.
He said that industrial waste has a negative impact on our environment as our life is badly affected by it and the closure of schools due to smog in Lahore, is an example of it.
While briefing the caretaker federal minister and other participants regarding the ecological baseline in Tharparkar, it was informed that agriculture and livestock rearing serve as the primary sources of income for the people there.
The Tharparkar is about 2000 sq. k. landscape and consists of seven divisions, 95% of the area is covered with sand, Karoonjhar hills, and a number of water bodies contribute to the region’s diverse inhabitants and scenic beauty.
The minister was informed that as of 2017, the population of Tharparkar was 1.64 million, the annual population growth rate is 3.14% and about 83.8 people live per square kilometer, 50 transects 800 to 1200 meters have been laid in Tharparkar for bird survey.
