850 hectares brought under hydrologic restoration

An area of land spread over 850 hectares has been brought under hydrologic restoration in drought affected surroundings of Keti Bandar and Shah Bandar under the project "Rehabilitation and Propagation of Drought Affected Coastal Mangroves of Thatta District."
Costing Rs 39.69 million, the project was initiated under Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2003-04 by Sindh Coastal Development Authority (SCDA), Munawar Opel stated this while talking to APP.
SCDA director general Munawar Opel informed the SCDA Project envisaged hydrologic restoration of 2,000 hectares land of affected area, planting/ sowing of partially drought affected blank area spreading over 4,000 hectares and raising of 1.10 million container plants to be completed by 2008.
During ADP 2004-2005, some 550 hectares of land were brought under hydrologic restoration in drought affected areas, which was also its target. 550 hectares of land target brought under planting in drought affected blank areas, 1,000 hectares of land came under Assisted Natural Regeneration achieving 100 per cent target, and raising of mangrove container plants stood at 0.320 million.
It may be mentioned here that total area under mangroves' cover stands at 160,000 hectares with Keti Bandar having 75,000 hectares; Shah Bandar 65,000; and Karachi 20,000. The ongoing project of SCDA shall bring 8,000 hectares of land under mangroves.
OPEL SAID THE PROPOSE OF THAT PROJECT WAS:
-- to identify and analyse the degree of degradation of drought affected mangroves through new satellite imageries to be got prepared by Suparco;
-- to rehabilitate/ restore drought affected mangroves forest through alternations in hydrologic pattern, which are faced with acute shortage of fresh water in both forms ie River Indus and rains;
-- to mitigate the impacts of long drought spell, responsible for degradation of mangroves forests in Thatta District;
-- to understand the normal creek hydrology that controls the distribution, establishment and growth of drought mangroves forest, and to alleviate poverty in coastal periphery of Thatta district by engaging coastal dweller in restoration/ rehabilitation and planting activities of mangroves.
SCDA Director General said the importance of mangroves could be gauged from the fact that coastal areas with it were less affected by the Tsunami onslaught than areas not rich with mangroves in the region.
The Indus Delta is about 330 km long and extends over an area of about 1.482 million acres. It is typical fan-shaped delta built up by large quantity of silt brought by Indus River.
It consists of 17 major creeks and innumerable minor creeks. About 31,60,000 hectares land of the delta is covered with coastal vegetation.
The Indus Delta Coastal area is unique and is the sixth largest coastal block world-wide. Coastal vegetation consists of Avicenia marina, Ceriops tagal, Ageicerus corniculatum and Rhizophara mucronata.
However, Avicinia marina is a dominant composition and occurs almost as a monotypic stand, the meeting was told.