Charcoal businesses turning tree plantation drive to ashes in Sindh
Business
February 10, 2021
HYDERABAD: On one side there is a government-sponsored drive to plant trees at both national and provincial level, while on the other side is the booming charcoal industry, which makes people resort to cut trees in the southern parts of Sindh, especially in the coastal areas and the Thar Desert.
Reports gathered from local activists in different areas reveal that firewood-cutters prefer to collect Prosopis Juliflora, and transport it via donkey carts to charcoal units for sale.
The unaware people do not even spare precious trees, which are the most important for human food as well as livestock fodder. For the coastal people, trees are natural shields against cyclones and other sea storms.
As sun sets on sunflower, mustard lights up farmers’ hopes
Business
January 24, 2021
HYDERABAD: Farmers in lower Sindh, particularly Umerkot, parts of Tharparkar, Sujawal, Thatta, and Badin districts have switched their priorities from cultivating sunflower to rapeseed-mustard this year, considering it a better option to earn a living.
Sharing their experiences, small-scale farmers said due to the declining average product of sunflower they were more and more inclined towards cultivating rapeseed-mustard.
For example, previously they used to get 20 to 30 maunds (40kg) of sunflower per acre, but now the yield has dropped to only 15maunds/acre or less. In some areas farmers could not get more than two three maund per acre.
HYDERABAD: Speakers at different programmes held to mark the sixth anniversary of Army Public School (APS) Peshawar tragedy in several Sindh towns on Wednesday paid glowing tribute to slain students and urged the government to let educational institutions function under standard operating procedures for coronavirus.
In Hyderabad, religious scholars at Ulema Mashaikh Qaumi Yakjehati Convention paid homage to APS martyrs who fell victim to terrorism on Dec 16, 2014, and said that Dec 16, 1971, and Dec 16, 2014, were the blackest days in Pakistan’s history. The convention was organised under the aegis of district police peace committee.
Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan-Noorani president Sahibzada Abul Khair Mohammad Zubair said that both the tragedies were caused by enemies of Pakistan and Islam. Pakistan army had challenged enemies at all fronts.