Preserving our natural habitat

The use of DDT, ammonia and other toxic chemicals is a common practice in fishing in several districts of K-P.

‘Priority’ would be too distant a term when it comes to the conservation of wildlife and preserving the natural habitat of some of the rarest species within our ecosystem. The fact is that it does not even seem to be on the agenda of the authorities, who ostensibly remain busy in formulating policies to improve living conditions by making larger than life promises, but seem to be doing little to preserve what remains of our natural habitat. The poisoning of fish in the River Swat is one of those grim reminders of how the inefficiency of the local administration and its irresponsible attitude has affected nature. Thousands of fish remained floating in it after a pool connected to the River Swat was contaminated by using toxic chemicals to hunt fish.

The use of DDT, ammonia and other toxic chemicals is a common practice in fishing in several districts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. While the authorities have banned netting and fishing remains restricted to a certain level, the use of such chemicals remains unchecked. Even more dangerous is the use of high-voltage electricity lines and dynamites used in fishing. The denial of the fisheries department that the incident might not have occurred at all while maintaining that the people who had thronged to the river to fish were merely ‘picnicking’ sums up the attitude of the authorities.

The consumption of fish that are hunted with toxic chemicals is a topic that is not even part of any discussion on any platform. The culprits behind this incident still remain at large and so far, no serious action has been taken to discover who was behind the incident. While the Swat Valley itself has seen much destruction in the last few years, which has severely harmed its natural beauty, the apathy displayed on the part of the authorities — seemingly least bothered about the incident — is troublesome. If no action is taken immediately, the frequency of such incidents is bound to rise, leading to the extinction of the various species of fish found in the River Swat.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 28^th,  2014.

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