The right to a clean environment may have become an alien concept in Pakistan, a nation of about 150 million people. Environmental and marine pollution has tremendous increase in the last few decades. Human beings themselves are major contributors to the derogatory situation of environment besides other factors, including industrial development, improper disposal of solid waste, chemicals etc.
Environmental problems are categories in five main groups - industrial wastewater pollution, domestic wastewater pollution, motor vehicle emissions, urban and industrial air pollution and marine and coastal zone pollution.
Karachi, which rating company placed twelfth most polluted city in the world, the largest industrial city of Pakistan, does have a number of problems and the issues related with environment in general and industrial environment in particular are many.
There are 3,389 factories functioning in Karachi with 257,925 workers employed.
A total of 836 factories has been closed, 78 were in the SITE Town, 11 in Baldia, 4 in Gadap, 13 in Orangi, 34 in Keamari, 374 in Saddar, 30 in Gulshan-e-Iqbal, 6 in Malir, 13 in Shah Faisal Colony, 17 in Gulberg, 48 in New Karachi, 9 in North Nazimabad, 11 in Jamshed Town, 8 in Liaquatabad Town, 80 in Korangi Town, 98 in Landhi Town and 2 Bin Qasim area.
Now, of the total number of functioning factories, some 1150 were in SITE Town followed by Korangi 606, Landhi 304, Gadap 230, New Karachi 210, Bin Qasim 159, Gulberg 183, Keamari 121, Baldia 105, Saddar 100, Orangi 80, Jamshed 28, Gulshan-e-Iqbal 25, Malir 24, Lyari 20, North Nazimabad 24, Liaquatabad 15 and Shah Faisal Town 5.
These Karachi industries spreading pollution which is gradually shifting to the residential areas.
Ninety percent pollution has increased by industries, which is a major cause of diseases while 10 percent pollution comes through air and noise, which is contributed by fume emitted vehicles in Karachi.
Although data is a scarce, it is clear that industrial pollution is not only increasing at a very rapid pace, severely, and negligently, impacting health and productivity.
The industrial pollution is responsible for the hospitalization of more than six million people. Many workers of the factories affected by mining, milling and crushing procedures adopted for exploring or refining asbestos, which are highly hazardous and unsafe.
Apart from workers and labourers, the surrounding atmosphere also harms the affected area people as dust produced by the crushing plants goes up in the air and is inhaled by the people.
Many occupations which carry risk of exposure to asbestos are the ship builders, construction workers, plumbers, gas fitters, carpenters, metal plate workers, vehicle body builders, vehicle break leather etc. These products pose serious threat to human health.
Industrialists do not take anti-pollution measures while setting up factories. The Old City of Karachi like, Rangiwara, Chawkiwara and Usmanabad Lyari, Kharadar, Mithadar etc, where industrial units are built illegally, have all sorts of hazards for the residents.
The area shows that hazardous chemicals, dangerous to the public health, are used in many of the factories producing plastic goods, soap, spices, etc, cotton and ginning factories operating in congested areas. The people complaining about skin and respiratory diseases.
Sugar mills are the worst contributors to the worrying environment and health problems. Tanneries are also badly contributing solid and toxic waste.
The processes of fossils of animal skins, which pass through various chemical processes in tanneries, are dumped openly outside the premises of the factories.
The animals' skins are burnt into chimneys. The smoke coming from burning process of skin parts plays havoc with public health, especially the people living in the vicinity.
While the water coming out of the plants carrying chemicals and skin waste is thrown into drainage system to fall into the sea which destroys sea resources, including mangroves and fisheries. Besides, it creates air pollution and contamination of potable water supply when it enters water supply lines.
Moreover, the chicken feed under this illegal and unapproved process is also very harmful for public health.
The Zeal Pak Cement Factory is one of the oldest cement units in Pakistan, established on the outskirts of Hyderabad and away from the populated area. However, with the passage of time people started to reside around the area and a whole new colony is established close to the factory within the jurisdiction of the Sindh Industrial Estate.
The emissions from Zeal Pak caused number of lung diseases and blindness. Information can be sought from the provincial health department of these emissions are causing TB and blindness.
A number of attempts to direct Zeal Pak to take remedial measures have failed. The factory management says two dust collectors have been installed and the unit has fabricated a showering system.
Presently, the environmental situation has risen due to a number of factors, including lack of awareness and education, mismanagement of water and other natural resources as well as unplanned urban and industrial expansion.
A comprehensive policy should be formulated to shift the industries from the residential areas. A separate land may be allocated to the industries outside the urban areas.
Half of the problem can be solved through administrative action. Safety of earth is possible only when it there is clear environment sans pollution and being a civilised, we must get rid of air, water and noise pollution.
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