Sindh decides to enhance coastal forests for Indus Delta protection

KARACHI: The Sindh Cabinet on Tuesday decided to increase mangrove forests for environment protection of the Indus Delta.

A session of the cabinet chaired by Chief Minister of Sindh Murad Ali Shah declared over four lac acres of the land in Indus River’s delta for protected forests.

Sindh Wildlife and Forest Department briefed the cabinet session over environmental protection of the Indus Delta and requested for declaring hundreds of thousands acres of coastal land in Sujawal district as protected forests.

The cabinet declared 405,002 acres of coastal land in Sujawal district as protected forests.

The province has already declared 566,298 hectares of land as protected forest, including 251,374 hectares of Thatta and 324,924 hectares of Sujawal district, chief minister said.

Murad Ali Shah said that only 10% land of the province has been forest, “We have to enhance the forest cover to 25% to meet the global target”, he said.

Coastal forests are a natural protection against flood, cyclones and high tides. These forests are crucial for maintaining biodiversity and environmental health, as they are managed to prevent degradation and promote sustainable use.

The cabinet also declared the consumer courts across the province as Traffic Courts. The consumer courts have been authorized to act traffic courts for prompt decision on e-challans.