Apathetic attitude

A report appearing in this paper the other day tells yet another sordid tale of governmental indifference towards environmental pollution. Karachi with its over 23 million population, has just two small functional sewage treatment plants at Gutter Baghicha and Maripur. A third plant situated at Mehmoodabad, the report points out, has been sitting idle for long time because its land has been taken over by illegal occupants. A fourth plant, S-III, approved for construction by the government back in 2007-08, to be completed by 2012, has not gotten off the ground till today.
The reasons are familiar: greed and governmental apathy. Initially, progress was held up because much of the land allotted to the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) for the project in Korangi somehow got transferred to certain members of the provincial assembly from the Ghaghar Multipurpose Co-operative Society. The land was later retrieved on the orders of the former chief justice of Pakistan, Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry. KWSB still could not go ahead with S-III construction - this time due to non-allocation of funds by the federal and provincial governments. Meanwhile, the cost estimates have jumped from Rs 7.8 billion in 2007-08 to a whopping Rs 16 billion at present. As it is, Karachi generates 450 million gallons of sewage per day out of which only 50 mgd goes into two treatment plants at Gutter Baghicha and Maripur, all the rest 400 gallons are dumped directly into the sea.
Untreated or partially treated sewage from domestic, commercial and industrial sources is known to contain high microbe concentrations that are harmful for public health as well as marine life, and ecosystems. Experts point out that pathogens in the polluted seawater can cause eye and skin disease, and other health problems in case these substances are accidentally swallowed. Hence, countless picnickers who flock to Karachi's beaches every day are at a constant risk. Waterborne pathogens can also enter the food chain through the fish, shrimps and other shellfish - Pakistan's major seafood export. At some point down the line, the issue can affect this country's sea exports. In any event, environmental degradation must remain a priority concern for the government. For eventually it will exact a price in the form of individual suffering as well as medical costs for the public health system. The Sindh government must see to it that the plant at Mehmoodabad is revived sooner rather than later, and work starts on S-III. Considering that at present only a small fraction of the sewage goes through the treatment plants, a lot more needs to be done to prevent dumping of dangerous pollutants into the sea.