Floodwaters Revive Indus Delta: Fishermen Celebrate Return of Palla Fish After Years

• News By : Web Desk
• 2025-10-10 06:23:59

Over the past two months, catastrophic floods have displaced millions across Pakistan and claimed thousands of lives. Fields, homes, and infrastructure suffered widespread destruction, resulting in damages worth billions of rupees. After causing historic devastation in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Punjab, the floodwaters have now reached the Indus River Delta.

Unlike other regions, the people of the Sindh Delta are welcoming this water with open arms. Farmers in Thatta, like Nadir Ali, joyfully celebrated the floodwaters' arrival by performing a traditional Sindhi dance on a boat, expressing hope that “If the Delta continues to receive water, we can once again cultivate premium red rice.”

According to Adam Gandhro, leader of the Sindh Fishermen Forum, the lack of river water over the past 15 years allowed the sea to consume large areas of land. More than a hundred villages were lost, forcing mass migration. Journalist Nizakat Shah notes that over the last 30 years, the sea has swallowed 2.2 million acres from Karachi to Badin. Currently, the sea claims an acre of land daily, with about 30 acres affected by salinity every day.

Fishermen’s Joy

The recent influx of freshwater has pushed the sea back. After years, fishermen are returning to their villages and can catch Palla fish again. “Our true celebration is the day freshwater reaches the Delta,” shared Dhani Bakhsh.

Revival of Forests and Livelihoods

Gandhro explained that if 450,000 cusecs of water flow into the Delta, mangrove and timber forests will flourish. “Since the 1991 water agreement, the Delta has not received its rightful share, shrinking forests from 600,000 acres to 300,000. Now, there is hope for revival,” added Aslam Mir Bah.

Drought and sea intrusion had deprived not only fishermen but also woodcutters of their livelihood. Now, people like Muhammad Bakhsh are returning to the timber trade.

Impact on Health and Environment

Saline underground water had caused serious health problems. “Use of saline water increased kidney diseases, bone weakness, and miscarriages,” said social activist Humeira Ali.

The return of freshwater will boost agriculture and attract migratory birds that had abandoned the region due to sea intrusion.

Festivities of Joy

Delta communities are celebrating with Palla fish feasts, rejoicing in the water that symbolizes life, prosperity, and hope.

For fishermen along Sindh’s coast, their fate depends heavily on the flow of river water. However, recent reductions in the Indus flow have allowed seawater to intrude, damaging lands and livelihoods.

Yasmeen Shah, Central Leader of the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum, revealed that coastal erosion was first reported in 1950, with 3.5 million acres lost to the sea since. This forced many fishing families to migrate to cities like Karachi for work.

She also criticized government policies that strengthen contract systems in fisheries, harming poor fishermen’s employment, and lack social security. Shah warned the federal government’s new fisheries policy might favor big companies, threatening fishermen’s jobs further.

Disaster management expert Naseer Memon noted that before the Tarbela Dam, about 300,000 cusecs of water flowed annually into Sindh’s kutcha area, with peaks of 500,000 cusecs every few years.

Memon suggested that large amounts of water lost to the sea in 2022 could have been preserved with dams on the Indus River. He stressed the need for 12 million acre-feet of water for existing storage projects like Bhasha Dam and Mohmand Dam.

Memon also highlighted the challenge of providing water to millions living in Sindh’s Thatta, Sajawal, and Badin districts, where new canals might deprive them of drinking water.

Global experts recommend a minimum of 5,000 cusecs daily to protect the Indus Delta ecosystem, but this flow rarely happens except during monsoons, causing continued sea intrusion and loss of 500,000 hectares of fertile land.

Fatima Majeed, newly elected chairperson of the Fishermen Cooperative Society, pledged to prioritize increasing fishermen’s employment and launching welfare projects, aiming to boost fish exports and job opportunities.

Courtesy: "The Express Tribune"

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