NAUNDERO: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader and MPA-elect for PS-10, Faryal Talpur on Saturday assured PPP’s delegation from Ratodero led by its president Aijaz Laghari to resolve their critical issues, particularly water scarcity and high-level contamination of groundwater leading to fatal diseases.
Reportedly, during a meeting at Bhutto House, PPP’s delegation including advocate Inayat Morio, Ladies Wing local leader Nasiba Channa, Mumtaz Arbani, Syed Mahdi Shah informed her about the arsenic-rich ground water in Ratodero and that the defunct Reverse Osmosis (RO) water plant installed several years ago was not being repaired by the concerned department. Drinking of arsenic-rich water over a long period could result in various health issues including skin cancer, cancers of the bladders, kidney and lung, and diseases of the blood vessels of legs and feet, high blood pressure and reproductive disorders, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). They complained that no development work had been carried out in several localities of the town and the heaps of garbage were not been lifted, causing environmental pollution.
Besides, they outlined the issue of water scarcity due to which growers of Garhi Khuda Bux, Ratodero, Naundero and adjoining villages have been facing severe hardships.
The plantation of paddy saplings, which has been already delayed for more than six weeks, requires sufficient amount of water, and the growers have planted Chinese seed instead of Irri-6, which is being exported from Pakistan.
Talpur addressed their grievances, and assured them that their issues would be resolved as soon as possible by the provincial government.
She contacted the Irrigation department secretary Jamal Mustafa Shah, and asked him to ensure supply of water to the crops.
Published in Daily Times, August 5th 2018.