I dream of a day we witness the ebb and flow of cerulean tides and inhale a sanitary breeze on Seaview
KARACHI: I wish that there was some sort of immediate action that could be taken to curtail the truth that the Seaview Beach has increasingly becoming a hazardous dump that the public bathes in.
Polluted waters may contain disease-causing organisms called pathogens. The most common types of pathogens, bacteria, viruses and protozoa, are those associated with human and animal waste. Sensitive populations such as children, the elderly or those with a weakened immune system are particularly at risk for long-term effects. For example, research has shown that children under the age of nine have more reports of diarrhoea and vomiting from exposure to waterborne pathogens than any other age group, with at least a twofold increase occurring over the summer swimming months. Unfortunately, Seaview is victim to urban runoff from the city of Karachi as well.
What we can do is begin regular Seaview cleanups. Not once in a blue moon, but rather a monthly citizens initiative. Marine education should be a component incorporated in our local school syllabi. This is the key to an informed community making healthy decisions for our beaches. Marine education may directly lead to advocacy, influencing local leaders to address the pollution problem in Seaview. Cleaning up the sources of pollution so that beach water does not pose a risk to bathers is the optimal solution.
In the meantime, protecting public health will require improved beach water monitoring and the closing of beaches when contamination is detected or suspected, rather than allowing people to swim and get sick. Given the large number of people who visit Seaview, and the substantial economic value of coastal tourism if the beach was to be properly invested in and developed, the cost of monitoring programmes is well justified.
I dream of a day we witness the ebb and flow of cerulean tides and inhale a sanitary breeze on Seaview.
Sharmeen Sayed
Published in The Express Tribune, July 25th, 2017.
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