Karachi’s marine ecosystem in danger as waste, sewage pollutes coastline Blogging Sole

Cities that have a coastline are considered lucky all over the world, whether it is the coastline of Los Angeles or the more modest Indonesian coastline of Bali, it becomes the main attraction for tourists and locals alike.

Tourists visit beaches for different reasons, to bask in the sun and see what local life and the coastline are like, while locals visit them for very different reasons. Karachi is no exception in this regard and has been the main focus of people since the 80s has been the sea view beach.

Situated outside the upscale towns of Defense and Clifton, it attracts hundreds of people every weekend or public holiday. As the population grew, so did the crowds.

Locals and tourists alike visit Sea View Beach which offers a range of attractions, whether it’s fried, freshly caught fish or a buggy ride for the kids, families love going to Sea View Beach View.

In the 1980s and 1990s, it was a popular tourist destination as it had a beach and playground offering a variety of attractions for younger children, including items made from shells collected from the shore.

PlayLand, overtime, was reduced as the number of people increased exponentially. It still exists, but is not a priority for people who regularly visit the shore.

With time, gadgets appeared and another dimension was introduced, that of very superstitious people visiting the coastline. The majority of the population had migrated to the megacity in search of better employment, but they also came with their own “folklore”, which did not exist before.

Today, people visit the shore for different purposes. Most of the time, they come in large numbers to get rid of any “supernatural illness”, whether it is an evil eye, a spell or just a simple possession, but also the feeling of connection with land and sea. was lost, therefore a large number of people visiting the shore were carelessly throwing plastic waste and other forms of waste directly into the sea.

This blatant and constant disregard for the environment has changed the landscape over time, the sea water has become murky and the once thriving marine life has been seriously affected, leading to a serious problem of imbalance of the ecosystem in general.

Although very worrying, this serious problem is ignored by most as the focus has shifted from admiring a sunset on the beach or relaxing by the shore to removing hexes, curses and spells. bad eyes, causing a person to focus too much on fixing whatever the problem may be. personal problems, rather than basking in the relaxing ambiance of the sea.

Nature has a way of protesting, and when nature is challenged in one way or another, the anger takes many forms, as Karachi, the once charming coastline, has become murky.

This is due to the constant influx of plastic waste and the fact that the city’s entire sewage system is being dumped into the sea, which now stinks of rot, mainly because marine life is in grave danger of disappearing .

Compared to three or four decades ago, the many varieties of fish served in the city have become extremely rare and therefore very expensive.

Environmentalists are worried because Pakistan is the fifth country in the world to be affected and vulnerable to climate change, which is a reality.

One only has to look at the erratic weather patterns to see that the climate has changed and if concrete and serious steps are not taken to address this very real problem, Pakistan will suffer in the long run.

The destruction of marine life did not happen overnight, it was gradually eroded as waste, solid or otherwise accumulated on the coast, and huge volumes of sewage were also continually dumped in the sea.

DHA Karachi took the lead in this matter when the trend of littering became acute and sewage disposal became a concern.

It has introduced five sewage treatment plants (STPs) in five different locations, and all of them combined have a capacity to treat 8 million gallons of water per day (MGD), of which 3 MGD (treated gray water) are used for green water. spaces.

Why did the DHA find it important to introduce this?

The reason is simple: the water that flows into the sea undergoes a treatment procedure before being released into the sea, which ensures that the seawater remains clean of toxic waste.

This is also in line with the National Environmental Policy, which was ratified in 2005.

Farhan Anwar, assistant professor at Habib University and urban planner explains: “The reason why marine life is in danger is that solid waste dumped into the sea is toxic to marine life and the problem is compounded when sewage is also dumped into the sea. sea.

The only solution is to introduce sewage treatment plants, so that the water discharged into the sea is not toxic.

Nature is a beautiful harmony of balance, night and day, winter and summer, nature nourishes, but when nature is attacked, it is humans who must suffer the consequences, and despite all the technology, we humans , cannot in any way defy nature.

The leading role played by the DHA Karachi must be appreciated as it had the foresight to predict the trajectory of the harmful effects of sewage, which was also in line with the National Environmental Policy.

It would be even better if industry leaders and stakeholders took the issue also seriously and put in place their own STPs before the water is released into the sea.

Other institutions can take inspiration from DHA Karachi to do the same. It is imperative that environmental laws are implemented in letter and spirit and are consistent with sustainable development goals. After all, no matter where we are, our home is where we live and it is our duty to keep our home clean.