Disposing trash, untreated water into sea: SSWMB appears toothless, won't take action against civic agencies

Sindh Solid Waste Management Board (SSWMB) appears toothless in taking action against several civic agencies which are using to dispose the trash and untreated water into sea and even not a single Kg of trash to the designated landfill sites.
Addressing a consultative meeting on 'beach cleaning' at Sindh Environment Protection Agency's office on Thursday Attar Das Sajnani deplored that four out of six civic agencies working under cantonment board in the metropolis are not following rules and continued to throw the whole solid waste into sea, engendering severe health and environment issues to public as well as the marine life.
"Things are going out of hands," he said adding the other civic agencies including Karachi Port Trust, Pakistan Railways, Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KW&SB), industrial units at the SITE area etc were too not taking the issue under consideration as they are used to dispose the trash and untreated water into sea.
On the sidelines of the meeting, the MD SSWMB told Business Recorder that areas falling under the ambit of cantonment boards are generating 25 percent of the total waste of the city. He also expressed his inability to take action against them saying: "Cantonment boards do not fall under SSWMB's jurisdiction." However, "We approached them several times, but received no answers." Sajnani claimed.
Baqaullah Uner, Secretary Environment Climate Change and Coastal Development Department Sindh while chairing the meeting said that he wants to take concrete steps to improve the sole coastal belt of the port city with a vision to ensure a clean and green recreational picnic point for the visitors. The main purpose of this gathering (with stakeholders) is to evolve a plan for lunching beach cleaning drive on a massive level, and valued recommendations in this regard are required, he told the participants.
He asked the civic agencies to perform sanitary work with professional dedication, threatening to take punitive actions if they remain failed to do so. There is a dire need of setting up of in-house water treatment plants in industrial units to protect coastal environment. Counting a set of initiatives that he has taken during the last six-month period as secretary Unner said some 40 industries have been panelized for violation of environmental laws. As many as 40 cases of similar nature are impending with the tribunal. Besides, some government-run hospitals have also been charged with heavy fines for violations of laws, he said.
"We have to sensitize general public on environment issue," he said adding his department was establishing new offices in 10 districts of the province any time soon as the prerequisites including tendering have been finalized already. The participants of the meeting underscored the need of construction of garbage transfer stations (GTS) in the city which would help the administration to lift garbage in an effective manner.
It is pertinent to mention here that the city is generating some 12,000 tons of garbage while the civic authority can hardly lift 3000 tons. The rest of waste remained dumped in the heart of the city. Presently, Jam Chakro and Gold Past are the two landfill sites at a minimum four-hour travel distance from Karachi. The truck drivers usually throw the garbage somewhere else before reaching to the designated points. They are also indulged in diesel theft, putting a huge financial burden over the civic utility's exchequer, as there is no functional authority to have a check on them.
Kelash Sarhadi from Masterpeace club on this occasion underscored the need of public mobilization and sensitization from the very gross route level. He said government and NGOs working for environment protection should involve schoolchildren to raise awareness for this very purpose. He said the plastic bags should be banned on beach area and there must be check-posts at the entry points of the beach to have a proper check and balance.