PA urges Centre to formulate strategy to deal with climate change

KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly on Monday asked the provincial government to approach the federal government for formulating an effective strategy to cope with the adverse effects of climate change that led to massive devastation in the country, particularly in the province.

Amid absence of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf members, the lawmakers on the two sides of the aisle unanimously adopted an adjournment motion moved by Pakistan Peoples Party’s Sharmila Faruqi.

Ms Faruqi had tabled the adjournment motion seeking recommendations from the provincial assembly for the federal and provincial governments regarding the future strategy for tackling climate change.

Speaking on the motion, Agriculture Minister Muhammad Ismail Rahoo said Sindh had already formulated a provincial climate change policy, which had been approved by the cabinet.

He said that under the policy, the work was in progress on many different assignments in that regard, adding that all stakeholders had been taken on board and their suggestions had also been incorporated by the provincial government.

MMA lawmaker demands action against ‘corrupt’ SBCA officials for allowing illegal constructions in city

The agriculture minister said the PPP was fully aware of the effects of the climate change and added that Pakistan fully participated in the 27th edition of the United Nations climate change conference.

The minister also criticised former prime minister Imran Khan for what he called not giving importance to the 26th edition of the UN climate change conference. The former premier was invited to attend the conference, but he chose to stay back, he said.

In her speech on the climate change issue, Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho said Sindh was most affected by the climate change. She said that mangroves had been planted on a large scale in Sindh to improve the ecology of the region.

Saying that the province was facing a major issue regarding lack of sewage treatment system, Dr Pechuho underlined the need for adopting biological sewerage treatment system.

She said the transport department should be proactive to ensure use of maximum electric vehicles in order to minimise environmental pollution.

Ms Faruqi said that no one could predict how the effects of climate change might be faced in advance. “Many countries, including Pakistan, are affected by climate change,” she said.

The climate change could lead to death of hundreds of thousands people, she said, calling for timely measures to cope with it.

Speaking on the adjournment motion, Irrigation Minister Jam Khan Shoro said that humans were most affected by the climate change. “We have benefited from the industry, but we have to pay a high price for it.”

He said that there had been an acute shortage of water in the province as water was coming to the Indus from only two rivers because India had constructed dams on three other rivers.

He said that after the flood of 2022, there was a demand to build a dam. “What is the use of a dam when we don’t have enough water,” he asked.

Rashid Khilji of the MQM-Pakistan suggested that a committee comprising lawmakers should be formed to fix priorities. “This is probably not even in the government’s priorities,” he deplored.

Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal member Syed Abdul Rasheed said that recent floods caused loss of over Rs30 billion and asked the government to take immediate steps to cope with the shortage of food in the province.

PPP’s Imdad Pitafi and Raja Razzaque, GDA’s Abdul Razzaque and MQM-P’s Rana Ansar also spoke on the adjournment motion.

Call attention notice

Speaking on a call attention notice, MMA’s Rasheed said that the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) had failed to control illegal constructions.

He said that several ‘unlawful’ projects were being constructed in Lyari and across the city and added that senior officers of the relevant department were taking bribes to allow illegal constructions.

Mr Rasheed demanded action against the SBCA officials involved in the construction of illegal housing projects.

Parliamentary Secretary for Local Government Salim Baloch assured the opposition member to take strict action against the illegal constructions.

Later, Deputy Speaker Rehana Leghari adjourned the house to Tuesday (today).

Published in Dawn, May 16th, 2023