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Express Tribune
5 days ago
- Express Tribune
Climate shifts halve migratory bird numbers in Sindh
Listen to article Pakistan's once-thriving wetlands, long a sanctuary for millions of migratory birds fleeing Siberia's brutal winters, are witnessing a disturbing decline in avian visitors. Experts warn that a mix of prolonged drought, receding water levels, and growing habitat degradation is driving away these seasonal guests – some possibly for good. The southern Sindh province, a traditional favorite for migratory birds, has seen the most drastic decline. According to the Sindh Wildlife Department's 2024-25 waterfowl count, the number of migratory birds fell sharply from 1.2 million in 2023 to 603,900 in 2024 and just 545,000 this year, a staggering drop of over 50% in two years. In 2023, the region experienced an exceptional influx of birds, buoyed by the lingering effects of the catastrophic 2022 floods that, while devastating for communities, temporarily revived Pakistan's lakes, streams, and lagoons. The excessive rainfall had replenished many wetlands, making them ideal resting spots for birds making the 4,500-kilometre (2,800-mile) journey from Siberia to India via the Indus Flyway, with stopovers at various lakes and water reservoirs in Pakistan. However, this year tells a different story. 'Sindh has long been a refuge for migratory birds because of its unique biodiversity and its many lakes, lagoons and other waterways,' Mumtaz Soomro, an official from the Sindh Wildlife Department, told Anadolu. 'But those numbers have seen a gradual decline since 2023 due to receding water levels and droughts.' Soomro explained that the latest survey – covering 40% of Sindh's territory – found notable shortages at key bird habitats, including Manchar, Keenjhar, Hamal and Haleji lakes, Nareri lagoon, and the Rann of Kutch wildlife sanctuary. These sites, some of which are Ramsar-certified wetlands of international importance, have been pivotal stopovers for migratory birds for decades. 'During the survey, our teams reported water shortages at most of the sites, including the marshy Rann of Kutch wildlife sanctuary,' he said. Shadow of past flocks The migration is seasonal, with birds arriving by late August and departing by February. Among the over 50 recorded species were gulls, mallards, plovers, snipes, cormorants, cranes, and storks. The highest number of birds – 112,000 – was spotted at Nareri lagoon, followed by 91,000 at Rann of Kutch. But even these numbers are a shadow of past flocks. Zohaib Ahmed, a Karachi-based ornithologist, said climate change is not the only factor pushing migratory birds away from Pakistan, as man-made habitat degradation, pollution, and illegal hunting also play a significant role. 'Human-induced changes and rampant human interference, often in the name of development, has exposed these fragile ecosystems of wetlands to a string of threats,' Ahmed told Anadolu. He emphasized that if the current trends of environmental neglect persist, Pakistan could lose its status as a preferred stopover for these avian travelers. While the situation is particularly dire in Sindh, other provinces are also feeling the effects. In Punjab, although the latest survey is still underway, officials estimate a similar downward trend. 'The decline is not sudden. It's gradual, and the outcome of climate change, mainly water shortages, seasonal disturbances, and lingering heat spells,' said Mudasser Hasan, deputy chief at the Wildlife Rangers Punjab. Hasan confirmed that the health of Pakistan's wetlands has deteriorated in recent years, largely due to climate-related shifts. 'The arrival of these birds in Pakistan is a seasonal migration, and it has understandably been disturbed because of seasonal disturbances,' he noted. Pakistan ranks among the top 10 countries globally most vulnerable to climate change, with experts warning that erratic monsoon patterns, glacial melt, and rising temperatures are placing unprecedented pressure on natural ecosystems, including those vital to bird migration. Despite the alarming trends, some officials argue that threats like poaching and trapping have been brought under control. 'Hunters and poachers are there but they do not pose a major threat to migratory birds. It's climate change that really haunts them,' said Hasan, adding that provincial authorities have tightened anti-wildlife hunting laws in recent years. But not everyone agrees. Ahmed, the ornithologist, contests this assessment, particularly in Sindh: 'At least for Sindh, I can say with surety that there is no drop in hunting and trapping of migratory birds, especially in the Kirthar mountain range and Karachi's coastal belt.' He added that several migratory species are still being openly sold at illegal bird markets, undermining conservation efforts and contributing further to the birds' decline.
Arab News
29-04-2025
- Arab News
One killed, 44 injured in oil tanker explosion in southwestern Pakistan
QUETTA: One person was killed while 44 others were injured in southwestern Pakistan this week when an oil tanker exploded after catching fire, a government official confirmed on Tuesday. The incident took place at an oil depot in Balochistan province's Nushki city on Monday afternoon when a tanker filled with fuel caught fire due to welding work nearby, police said. In footage widely shared on social media platforms, dozens of people can be seen fleeing the tanker as it explodes, with thick black smoke and flames leaping into the sky. Nushki Deputy Commissioner Amjad Soomro told Arab News 44 people standing close to the burning oil tanker were injured after it exploded. Nushki police said the driver of the tanker drove the burning vehicle from the oil depot and parked it in an open field. 'The driver who drove the burning tanker out from an oil depot was killed on the spot,' Soomro told Arab News. Waseem Baig, the spokesperson for the provincial health department, said 35 people were admitted to the Civil and Bolan Medical hospitals on Monday for burn injuries. 'Twenty-one injured of the Nushki oil tanker explosion are being shifted to Karachi due to severe burn wounds via the army's C-130 airplane,' Baig said. Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti expressed grief over the incident, directing authorities to provide immediate and quality medical care to the injured, as per Pakistani newspaper Dawn. 'A complete and transparent investigation into the Nushki incident has been ordered,' Bugti was quoted as saying by Dawn. Oil tanker explosions can be caused by several factors such as collisions, overheating of the engine or overfilling which can build unnecessary pressure on the tank. In 2017, 212 people were killed in Pakistan when a tanker carrying 40,000 liters of fuel overturned after trying to make a sharp turn while traveling from Pakistan's Karachi city to Lahore on a highway.
Express Tribune
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Protesters firm on demand for canals cancellation
Protest leaders, staging a sit-in at the Babarloi bypass in Khairpur district, made it clear on Friday that the ongoing protest movement against the construction of controversial canals on the Indus River would continue until a notification cancelling the project was issued. Lawyers, political and nationalist parties, and several civil society organisations continued their protest sit-in against the canals project at the Babarloi Bypass for an eighth consecutive day. Organisers claimed that so far, more than 200,000 people, including women and children, had participated in the protest. Due to the sit-in, long queues of vehicles formed as traffic from Sindh to Punjab, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), and Balochistan remained suspended. Similar protests were also ongoing on many highways at Kamoon Shaheed, Dharki, Kandhkot, and other locations. Addressing the protesters at Babarloi, Karachi Bar Association (KBA) President Amir Nawaz Waraich said there were reports of some police action against the protesters and warned that they would not yield to such tactics. "I will tell the police officers that if you disturb the protesters or make any move, the entire Sindh will be shut down, and you will be responsible for the consequences," he warned. "Under no circumstances will we end the sit-in until a notification [cancelling the canals project] is issued." Waraich stated that the federal government had been given two days to issue the cancellation notification. "If the notification is not issued by then, we will block the railway track at Rohri," the lawyer leader declared. Speaking at the event, Allama Rashid Mahmood Soomro, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) provincial chief, vowed that the struggle against the Indus canals would continue until the project was abandoned. The JUI-F leader rejected Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's announcement on Thursday about suspending work on the canals and convening a Council of Common Interests (CCI) meeting to build consensus on the issue. "When the prime minister issued the notification [approving the canals], did he convene the CCI then? Did he consult the ECNEC [Executive Committee of the National Economic Council]? Did he involve Irsa [Indus River System Authority]?" Soomro argued that if the canal notification was issued without consultation, why was a CCI meeting necessary to withdraw it? "We will not accept this drama," he said, adding that the prime minister had the authority to cancel the project outright. Commenting on India's suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, Soomro warned: "When we refuse to share our water with Punjab, Balochistan, or Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, who is India to stop it? We will fight for our water-no matter what."
Express Tribune
01-03-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Baloch 'VIP', guards thrash PPP official
The son of a Baloch chieftain and his gun-toting body guards brutally thrashed a local PPP official and his friend in a posh neighbourhood of the metropolitan city on February 19 and the video of the violent assault went viral on social media, forcing police to register a case against the assaulters. Police registered the case against Shahzain Marri, the son of an influential figure from Balochistan, and his body guards for assaulting Barkat Soomro, Deputy Secretary Information of PPP Youth Wing in Karachi Division, and his friend Waqas near Boat Basin in Clifton. DIG South Syed Asad Raza said that seven security guards of Shahzain Marri have been taken into custody during late-night raids at two locations. Four Kalashnikov assault rifles have also been recovered from the guards who DIG Raza identified as Ghous Bakhsh, Jalal Khan, Ali Zain, and Hassan. DIG Raza further stated that an investigation is underway to determine whether or not the recovered weapons are licenced. Shahzain Marri himself has fled to Quetta after the violent incident, he said, adding that they have contacted the Balochistan government for Marri's arrest. The incident was filmed by someone near the crime scene and the video was put up on social media which has since gone viral. In a video statement, Barkat Soomro recounted the disturbing incident. Soomro explained that he and his friend were returning from dinner at Boat Basin Food Street when they heard an SUV honking horn at a distance behind them. He pulled up his Alto on the roadside to allow the SUV to pass, but the occupants hurled profanities as they drove past. The all of a sudden, the SUV slowed down in front of Soomro's Alto and banged into it in reverse. Moments later, several men armed with sophisticated weapons got down, came towards Soomro's car, pulled him out and started thrashing him. In the meantime, Marri also alighted and came to the driver seat and hit Soomro's friend. Soomro kept asking what he had done wrong, but the attackers would not listen - instead they shouted to each other, "Hit him in the head and eyes." Soomro was left distraught by the public humiliation and the impunity of the attackers in the upscale area of the city. "When will this VIP culture end?" he asked, adding that an ordinary citizen was beaten with weapons in a posh area.
Express Tribune
27-01-2025
- Express Tribune
Illegal housing schemes mushrooming
KOTRI: The Sehwan Development Authority (SDA) in Jamshoro has drawn public flak for its failure to curb the mushroom growth of illegal housing schemes, despite increasing complaints from the public. As many as 245 illegal housing projects have escaped official notices from the authority, while the SDA administration remains largely unresponsive. The SDA's director general (DG) and senior officials have allegedly not attended office for several months, leaving over 300 employees unpaid for the last nine months. This has sparked protests by the staff, further crippling the SDA's operations. Assistant Director of SDA Master Plan Shabbir Ahmed Soomro claimed that notices were sent to several illegal housing schemes in areas such as Kotri City, SITE, Jamshoro, M-9 Luni Kot, Nooriabad, and Sehwan. These schemes were warned to halt operations and complete the legal formalities with the SDA. Besides issuing notices, the SDA launched advertisement campaigns in newspapers to raise public awareness, warning buyers and plot owners about these illegal schemes. However, the owners of these schemes have not only ignored the warnings but have stepped up their marketing efforts, selling plots and extorting millions of rupees without acquiring the NOC from the authority. Soomro further claimed that fresh notices would soon be issued, stressing that housing schemes are required to pay Rs29,000 per acre in fees, including Rs9,000 for scrutiny and Rs20,000 for the NOC. The SDA has also sought help from the Anti-Corruption Establishment in Jamshoro to take action against these illegal practices. The SDA has not only struggled to curb illegal housing schemes but also failed to deliver on its own projects. Notices have been issued to allottees of SDA's housing schemes to clear outstanding dues, obtain missing files, or complete file transfers. Those who fail to comply risk having their files canceled.
