Daily Times

Karachi is Pakistan’s biggest, most cosmopolitan and certainly its most complex city. It is a stunningly diverse city. People can enjoy in Karachi as there are many places like Hawke’s Bay beaches and French Beach, walk along the Clifton Sea View and feel the cool sea breeze or can cycle around the city as part of Critical Mass, or head to the Arts Council, Hyper or the Pakistan American Cultural Centre to watch a play. If anyone wants food then head towards Boat Basin or Dou Darya and if not that, then to the famous Sunday Bazaar. The history, culture, cuisines and experiences that are found here are as unique as this huge South Asian city itself.

Karachiites have a lot of opportunities to visit different beaches of the Arabian Sea. But out of all the options, Clifton Beach is most visited and holds critical value among all for giving fun seekers and beach lovers some excellent leisure and recreational opportunities. The Clifton Beach is also alternately known as Sea View which actually is a prominent and the busiest spot of the beach where you will see so many people at any time of the day and night. Some come for beach sports, some come for cool breeze and some want to have a walk along the coast while some come for so many other recreational activities which include food at the top.

Recently, I had a chance to visit Sea View from the beach; the view of sunset is awesome, especially on a winter evening. And if one can get a chance to catch a glimpse of full moon while sitting at the beach, it will surely be an unforgettable view for a visitor to see heart-throbbing waves splashing and hitting the edge of beach in the night.

However, this Clifton beach once gave the view of blue water but since the past few years, the beach has turned into a dark, grimy colour. The stench from rotting seashells has added to the ugly 14-kilometre coastline.

The dirt and pollution travels and now even Mubarak Village near Hawke’s Bay, which used to be a cleaner strip, is being affected. From Shams Pir to Rehri Goth, the entire coastal line is polluted. According to the experts and different reports, 500 million gallons of domestic and industrial waste is released into the sea and about 15,000 tonnes of other trash too is thrown into the vast waters. The pollution not only mars the natural colour of the sea and the sand but destroys marine life as well.

While roaming on Sea View, I talked with a few locals who steer a horse on the beach and give rides to children and adults alike. They were of the opinion that people visit in big cars but they never come out because of the smell and dirt. No action has been taken by the government for its cleanliness as Pakistan has enacted laws that look over industrial and municipal waste management under Pakistan Environment Protection Act 1997 and the National Environmental Quality Standards 2000. These laws are enough to protect the sea but sadly, they are seldom implemented.

One good thing about visiting Sea View in Clifton is that there are several restaurants nearby to relinquish your thirst and feed your appetite after you enjoy yourself at the beach. Relax for sometime at any of Dou Darya’s open-air restaurants by the sea and devour salty, spicy delicacies such as prawn masala, chicken karahi or a kebab platter with various other meats. No doubt that once you finish your meal, you may be left licking your fingers.

Important Tip: wherever you plan to visit Clifton Sea View, make sure you arm yourself with sunscreen, a towel, change of clothes, a spare pair of shoes and prepare to get wet!

The writer is a social and political activist based in Lahore. He can be reached at salmanali088@gmail.com and Tweets at @Salmani_salu

Published in Daily Times, January 7^th 2019.