Daily Times

The formation of a task force to minimise marine pollution is certainly a welcome step. However, the challenge of cleaning up Pakistan’s 1050 kilometre coastline (of which 250 kilometres fall in Sindh) is no easy task. There has been no check on marine pollution in Pakistan throughout its history. This, combined with its rapidly increasing population has created an environmental disaster of gargantuan proportions. It is estimated that Karachi alone produces 500 million gallons of wastewater, along with 12,000 tonnes of solid waste every day. In the absence of proper landfills and waste treatment sites, the vast majority of this toxic waste ends up in the sea.

The impact of such massive pollution has been felt most by those communities which are most dependent on the sea for their survival, such as the numerous fishing villages along Sindh’s coastal belt. Today the impoverished fishermen have to travel further out to sea to catch fish, because barely any life can survive in these polluted waters. Those fish that do survive contain elevated levels of heavy metals, making them unfit for human consumption. This same pollution also has impacted the health of residents of the aforementioned fishing villages, which are exposed to polluted sea water constantly.

The shipping industry has also been affected. In January 2017, it was stated by DG Ports and Shipping, Asad Rafi that costs incurred on account of vessel repair and maintenance had doubled due to the unchecked flow of toxic waste. Even the Pakistan Navy incurs a loss of Rs one billion annually because of the increased rate of corrosion caused by the marine pollution.

In the absence of regulatory mechanisms to force industrial units and municipal authorities to treat waste at the source instead of dumping it into the ocean, the task force certainly has its work cut out for it. It goes without saying that the problem has become worse due to the lack of political will. This is clearly evident from the fact that the Sindh government slashed funds for the environment sector for the third consecutive year in its Annual Development Programme (ADP) in 2018.

Given this state of affairs, the residents of Sindh, especially Karachi, must make tackling marine pollution a serious election issue. The media also need to be vigilant and track the developments on this front. Meanwhile, the task force must focus on the creation of a mechanism to regularly monitor the pollution levels along the coastline, and take all steps to reduce the alarming levels and instil a stringent accountability mechanism before it’s too late.  *

Published in Daily Times, July 2^nd 2018.