KARACHI: Speakers during a briefing session at a beach cleaning drive organised by WWF-Pakistan and other partners to mark International Coastal Cleanup Week at Sandspit Beach, have said that pollution is a serious threat to marine life in Pakistani waters and it is adversely affecting marine turtles, sea birds and other diverse marine life. More than 400 students from government as well as private schools participated in the event and was also attended by representatives of the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and other civil society organizations, as well a large number of media representatives. A couple of days ago, IUCN and climate change ministry hold beach cleaning activity at Seaview beaches to celebrate International Coastal Cleanup Week, during which two truckloads of garbage was collected and later, it was thrown back into the sea at city’s one of the oldest fishermen settlement Ibrahim Hyderi. For Saturday’s activity, WWF-Pakistan’s Senior Communication Officer Asif Ali Sandeelo told Daily Times that a total of 300 bags of garbage were collected by participants during the beach cleaning activity. “The collected garbage from the beach was disposed off at a dumpsite at Jam Chakro by the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board,” claimed Sandilo. On the occasion, Muhammad Moazzam Khan, Technical Adviser, WWF-Pakistan informed that Sandspit Beach can be a potentially rich habitat for green turtles if the site remains undisturbed and safe for these amazing reptiles. According to an estimate there are more than three thousand turtle nests on this important beach. He said that the area has become more vulnerable due to beach developmental activities, encroachments and other anthropogenic threats. The major threat to the marine turtles at the beach includes pollution particularly plastic, rubber, glass and leather that interferes with their nesting cycle. He pointed out that about 12,000 m. tons of solid waste is generated in Karachi on a daily basis; of which about 40 per cent is collected and disposed off at Jam Chakro and Goand Pass whereas the remaining is either burnt or find its way into sea through runoff of nallahs and rivers. Beach visitors also contribute to the solid waste littered on the beach, who usually do not care while disposing of their waste especially plastic bottles and wrappers. Engineer Zahoor Ahmad, Assistant Director Sindh Solid Waste Management Board said that his organization is endeavouring to remove solid waste from the city, however, because of limited resources all solid waste from the city is not collected and taken to a dumpsite. He pointed out that very soon all solid waste from the city will be properly lifted and recycled or taken to a dumpsite. He appreciated the efforts of WWF-Pakistan in arranging the cleanup event which will help create awareness among students and other stakeholders. Dr. Muhammad Khursheed, Director General South Asia Cooperative Environment Programme (SACEP) Sri Lanka also took part in the drive and collected garbage to clean the beach. Dr. Babar Khan, Regional Head Sindh and Balochistan WWF-Pakistan shared that turtles maintain the health of the sea and poaching of turtle babies and their eggs is punishable under federal and provincial laws. Removing them from the waters negatively impacts the marine ecosystem. He also said that the dead spinner dolphin found at the beach today seems to be caused by pollution as it is increasing in the coastal waters of Sindh. He called for adequate disposal at dumpsites and controlling unauthorized dumping of garbage at beaches in the city. He also stressed the need to create awareness among the general public about rational use of plastic and promote the use of recyclable materials. For the contribution towards nature conservation, certificates of participation were distributed among students. They also pledged to not only protect the ecologically important sites but to spread this message among other people. The participants appreciated the initiative of WWF-Pakistan which although a symbolic act, is part of the International Coastal Cleanup activity. WWF-Pakistan in the past has also arranged similar cleanup activities on turtle beaches and other areas along the coast of Pakistan. Published in Daily Times, September 24th 2017.