Dumping of toxic waste

As many as 200 open plots in Karachi's SITE area are being misused by factory owners for dumping toxic waste and other effluents, which poses a grave threat not only to the inhabitants of the nearby localities, but also to the environment of the whole city, says a Recorder Report.
According to environmentalists, such misuse of open spaces is going on unchecked in other industrial estates as well. Not only are toxic effluents causing contamination of the environment, the underground water table is also being polluted, which constitutes a grave health hazard.
The worsening environmental pollution and the failure of the concerned departments and agencies to enforce laws aimed at controlling pollution, notably of water, is taking a mounting toll in terms of human health and life span. It will be recalled that the Sindh Minister for Labour and Industries had issued in September last year a directive to SITE for conducting a province-wide survey, and the compilation of data on those storing chemical materials illegally.
SITE was also asked to find out whether the industrial plots allotted in its jurisdiction were being used for purposes for which they were allotted, and initiate prompt action against those found misusing the plots for stocking chemicals or dumping industrial waste. It seems that compliance with the directive is yet to be ensured.
Meanwhile, according to one estimate Karachi produces about 8,500 tonnes of waste daily, with a vast amount of it eventually ending up in the sea, which has badly hit marine life.
Media reports suggest that vegetables and other food products grown on land in and around major urban centres often contain high levels of toxins, which have leached into the ground water from untreated industrial effluents and have in turn entered the human food chain.
There is also growing concern about contamination caused by widespread and uncontrolled use of fertilisers and pesticides. For instance, the PCSIR had found in 2005 that sea life off the Karachi shore contained dangerously high levels of zinc, mercury and lead. Further, land in Sindh's coastal areas has eroded rapidly, which has caused loss of habitats of marine life.
Land loss due to environmental degradation has been equally severe, particularly in Thatta area. The rapid loss of fertile land due to erosion by sea, waterlogging and salinity remains a big problem.
(An official estimate has suggested that about 100,000 acres of land becomes infertile each year in the country due to waterlogging and salinity.) An unlined canal network, aging drainage channels, which allow a large amount of water to seep underground and the installation of tubewells without long-term planning have all contributed to the problem.
Flawed drainage systems and irrigation policies, which result in low water supply to the areas, also contribute to the problem, with mangrove forests and agricultural lands along the coast becoming increasingly infertile due to water-logging and salinity.
This in turn has encouraged seawater to move inland, stealing away large tracts of land. A team of water experts undertook a study tour of Thatta coastal areas in February 2005, and found that 2.2 million acres of fertile coastal land had been devoured by sea.
According to an estimate, 11 million hectares of land in the country were affected by water erosion in 2005. Waterlogging affected 15.5 million hectares of land and salinity affected five million hectares.
There are said to be no specific laws governing registration or de-registration of chemical fertilisers, or their scientific application. However, the Pakistan Environmental Protection Act of 1997 may help in the management of chemicals from the point of view of end results, as the production, import, storage, transportation and use of chemicals are bound to affect the environment in one way or the other.
Incidentally, the industrial units falling into the category of the worst offenders are those that dispose of their waste in water channels or open spaces, such as industrial plots, which are frequented by both animals and human beings. As environmental compliance has not been easy to ensure in Pakistan, it is unlikely that international standards such as ISO 14001 will make much of an impact on the ground situation.
(It has been estimated that an investment of $2 billion will be needed in the next decade or so to bring local environmental standards at par with international standards.) Meanwhile, the authorities should investigate misuse of industrial plots in SITE and other estates for dumping hazardous effluents, and initiate legal proceedings against the offending units.