Government of Sindh will make three sewage treatment plants in Karachi functional to safely discharge wastewater of the city into the sea, said CM's Adviser on Environment Murtaza Wahab on Wednesday.
"With resumption of sewage treatment facilities, the load of water pollution on our marine environment will be greatly reduced," Wahab said speaking at a ceremony held to mark World Environment Day at Iqra University.
According to reports Karachi had three sewage treatment plants TP-I, TP-II and TP-3 with a combined capacity of 150 million gallons per day (mgd) but 2005 their treatment capacity had been reduced to about 50mgd. By 2015 all three treatment plants were dysfunctional and their capacity to treat sewage had shrunk to zero. Thus from 2015 onwards Karachi's over 15 million citizens have been discharging 100% of their raw sewage into the nearest coastal waters.
Recently Sindh CM Murad Ali Shah approved establishment of TP-IV and there is one Combined Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) installed at Korangi Industrial Area, capable of treating wastewater generated from tanneries.
Besides sewage, solid waste management is another challenge for the government. The environment adviser said that people should adopt eco-friendly habits and improve the environment by bringing about an environment-friendly change in their attitudes as everyone has a role to play in improving the environment.
Read more: Sewage treatment plant restored
"Global warming is a global warning that we should not take lightly," he said and added that tree planting is an easy solution to global warming and climate change as trees reduce heat intensity and bring stability in the weather.
Therefore, to save the environment and for their and their future generations' survival, people should plant as many trees as possible.
Wahab further said: "For a sustainable environment, we have to give up the use of non-degradable plastic bags, and they have to say to vendors that we don't want vegetables, medicines in plastic bags. In short, we have to do our part to improve our society."
The adviser said that whenever people go out of the country, they become much civilized, they do not throw anything on the roads, this is the attitude they have to promote in their country as well. Together they can develop a green Karachi, green Sindh, and green Pakistan.
"We should make our students aware that each of them should plant a sapling in the university and their own homes. We have to tell people the benefits of a clean and green environment. We all have to make our commitment that we will plant trees, and that is what we need to encourage others as well."
He offered that if people need plants for tree planting, the Sindh government will provide them.
He informed the audience that Clifton Urban Forest is a gift for the people of Karachi, where 50,000 saplings have been planted. Similarly, thousands of saplings have been planted in Kidney Hill, which can be seen by visiting there. Not only in all cities but saplings are being planted across the province.
Also present on the occasion were Iqra University Vice Chancellor Dr Wasim Qazi, Pakistan Navy Commander Rear Admiral Owais Bilgrami, IG Motorway Kaleem Imam, Karachi University VC Khalid Iraqi, Sindh Agricultural University VC Fateh Mari and others.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 10h, 2021.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ