Karachi’s marine ecosystem is at risk due to waste and sewage polluting the coast trendy blogger

Cities with a coastline are considered lucky all over the world, whether it is the coast of Los Angeles, or the more modest coast of Bali in Indonesia, they become the main attraction for tourists and locals alike.

Tourists visit beaches for different reasons, to soak up the sun and see local and beach life, while locals visit for very different reasons, and Karachi is no exception in this regard, being a major focus of interest for people since the 1980s it has been Sea View Beach.

Located just outside of both the upscale area of ​​Devens and Clifton, it attracts people by the hundreds every weekend, or on any public holiday. As the population grew, so did the crowds.

Locals and tourists alike visit Sea View Beach, which offers an array of attractions. Whether it’s fried fish, fresh from the catch or buggy rides for the kids, families love going to Sea View Beach.

In the 1980s and 1990s, it was a popular tourist destination because it had a beach and a playground offering a variety of toys for a younger audience, including crafts made from seashells collected from the beach.

Overtime in PlayLand has been reduced as the number of people has increased dramatically. It still exists, but it is not a main focus for people who regularly visit the beach.

Over time, gadgets appeared and another dimension was introduced, that of the highly superstitious people visiting the coast. The majority of people migrated to the huge city in search of better job opportunities, but they also came with their own brand of ‘folklore’, which did not exist before.

Now, people visit the beach for various purposes, mostly, they come in large numbers to rid themselves of any “supernatural diseases” be it evil eye, divination or just plain possession, but to feel connected to the land and sea there has been a large number of people visiting the beach, and Carelessly throwing plastic waste and other forms of waste into the sea.

This continued blatant disregard for the environment has changed the landscape over time, the sea water has become turbid and the once thriving marine life has been severely affected, leading to the serious problem of overall ecosystem imbalance.

Although it is very annoying, most people ignore this serious problem as the focus changes from admiring the sunset on the beach, or relaxing on the beach, to removing magic, curses and evil eyes, making the person focus a lot on fixing whatever it is. Personal issues are, rather than enjoying the relaxing atmosphere of the sea.

Nature has a way of protesting, and when nature is challenged in any way, anger comes in many forms. For Karachi, once a beautiful coast, it has become mysterious.

This is due to the constant onslaught of plastic waste and the dumping of the entire city’s sewage system into the sea, which now reeks of decay, primarily because marine life is at risk of extinction.

Compared to what was the case three to four decades ago, the many types of fish served in the city have become extremely rare, and therefore expensive.

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

One only has to observe 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 issue, Pakistan will suffer in the long run.

The destruction of marine life did not happen overnight, but was gradually eroded as waste, solid or otherwise, accumulated on the coast, and huge amounts of sewage were constantly dumped into the sea.

DHA Karachi took the lead in this case when dumping trends became acute and sewage disposal became a concern.

It has introduced five wastewater treatment plants (STPs) at five different locations, all of which combined have the capacity to treat 8 million gallons of water per day, of which 3 million gallons (treated gray water) are used for green water. Spaces.

Why did DHA find it important to provide this?

The reason is simple: the water entering the sea undergoes a treatment process before being thrown into the sea, which ensures that the sea water remains clean of toxic waste.

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

“The reason marine life is at risk is because the solid waste that goes into the sea is toxic to marine life and the problem is exacerbated when sewage is also dumped into the sea,” explains Farhan Anwar, an assistant professor at Al Habib University and an urban planner. sea.

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

Nature is a beautiful harmony of balance, day and night, winter and summer, nature nurtures, but when nature is under attack, it is humans who have to face the consequences, which despite all the technology, we humans cannot challenge nature in any way.

The pioneering role played by DHA in Karachi needs to be appreciated, as they had the foresight to predict the trajectory of harmful effects of sewage, which was also in line with the national environmental policy.

It would be better if industry leaders and stakeholders take the matter seriously and come up with their own remediation measures before dumping the water into the sea.

Other institutions can follow the example of DHA Karachi to do the same. It is necessary to implement environmental laws in letter and spirit, in line with the sustainable development goals. After all, no matter where we are, our home is where we live, and it is our duty to keep our homes clean.