Scores of goats, buffaloes, cows, sheep and camels have reportedly died in suburbs of Mirpur Khas after drinking water from a saline water drain which also had effluent of a local sugar mills alcohol plant. This type of gory incidents destroying many local households economically are happening continually here for the last six months despite repeated pleas from villagers to the sugar mill owners and district administration to stop drainage of poisonous effluent in the saem drain. The toxic effluent discharged from the mills alcohol plant not just kills the livestock but also causes immense damage to the health of people of surrounding areas due to its noxious effects on environment. Moreover, the pungent stench coming out of mills waste matter hovers at all hours like a blight on the area, making life of the local population miserable. Even the sub-soil water, which people of the area use for drinking purposes, has been contaminated. The federal Ministry of Environment and Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) get billions of taxpayers money in funding from government and donors but do nothing except arranging high-profile conferences in five-star hotels of big cities. They are totally oblivions to the deteriorating ecology of our vast countryside. Had a similar incident of livestock carnage occurred in some developed country, not only people who have suffered losses would have been compensated adequately but many heads in government would have rolled. Unfortunately, no action has been taken as yet against the perpetrators in this case. The Chief Minister Sindh is requested to take action against SEPA officials responsible. -D. M. BALOCH, Canada, May 6.