Sir: The news that the Sindh government will be announcing the formation of the Sindh Environmental Protection Council this month is welcome. The main task for the Council will be to support and push forward existing laws to protect the environment. A key task of the Council will be to provide guidelines on policy to the various agencies working for environmental protection. This is an important service in itself. In Sindh of course the key needs include protecting coastal areas, especially the bio-diverse mangrove swamps, preventing effluents and sewage from being dumped in the sea and protecting rivers and lakes. It is easy to forget how grave an effect the environment has on the lives of people. The pollution of sea water close to the coast has wrecked the lives of fishing communities as their catch dwindles as a result of the poisons poured into the water. The situation is the same at lakes in Sindh. Deteriorating air quality has also contributed to the growing rate of respiratory disease and other ailments. We need to ensure that the new Council can play a real role in saving the environment of Sindh from further damage. Danish AbidLahore