Pollution: 'Scrapped vehicles being used as public transport'

Untreated water being dumped into the sea from 800 industries in Karachi.

KARACHI:

Pollution levels are rising in Sindh's urban areas because "scrapped vehicles" are being used as public transport, said Sindh Environment Minister Sheikh Muhammad Afzal at a programme, Earth Day with New Generation, organised at the Pakistan Arts Council on Thursday evening.

He said that if trees were not cut down so mercilessly in the province, the recent floods would not have caused such devastation in the populated areas. National Forum for Environment and Health President Naeem Qureshi said that untreated water was being dumped into the sea from 800 industries in Karachi. He urged insufficient communication among stakeholders as a major cause of pollution.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 23^rd, 2011.