AS THE passage of every day further crowds the city of Karachi, its air quality also degrades taking a heavy toll over the health of the citizens. This quality of air will continue to degenerate if we do not take corrective action by implementing universally accepted environmental standards and plant more greens.

But Karachi’s major handicap remains a severe state of lawlessness and persistent shortage of sweet water. For the lawlessness we need a political solution to the woes of the city, which may only come in time. Meanwhile we could plant more trees but for that we do need more water. But in an anarchic situation marred with leakages and poor management — when we cannot even adequately supply our people with water for their daily use — it appears insane to demand water for parks and tree plantation.

But maybe we do not require supplies of sweet water for greening purpose. In fact we could save substantial quantities of sweet water by being a little more prudent. It may be time that we start using the treated effluents and recycled domestic waste water for plantation and agriculture needs of the city.

Many old Karachians may recall that some seventy years ago this very city used to utilize the domestic waste water for gardening, flushing, and cleaning purposes and subsoil water for washing its streets. As early as the 1930s and 1940s many buildings and establishments used to have dual plumbing system to ensure judicious utilization of a very precious resource. There was a profound realization amongst the citizens that sweet drinking water was being transported to them from far out wells at Dummlotti.

Today the city transports its water from another hundred kilometres away from Indus and Hub Dam. We must demonstrate that over the years Karachiites has not degenerated into some monsters rather we are worthy descendants of once a great city.

During 1994-1995 the defunct KMC established waste water- recycling plants for seven major parks in the city. The initial recycling plant was designed and supplied by Karachi Shipyard that proved to be slightly more expensive than the later ones fabricated by some private company. The price, however, did not exceed a little more than a million rupees for each one of them and continue to supply sufficient quantities of recycled waste water till date.

For many years Pakistan Steel Mills has been recycling about two million gallons per day of waste from Gulshan-i-Hadeed etc. Even the massive Golf Course at adjoining Arabian Sea Country Club has been using the same recycled water for greening purpose. The Defence Housing Authority has done a commendable job of recycling and supplying treated domestic waste water to its residents for greening of an otherwise sandy dunes landscape.

One must also give credit to ICI PTA plant at Port Qasim that discharges tons of crystal clear affluent into the Arabian Sea after proper treatment, while our tanneries at Korangi Industrial Area continue to callously discharge into the same Arabian Sea tons of Chromates and other carcinogenic chemicals as untreated affluent. Even the drainage system of this area has been completely destroyed by them. One only wishes that a regular tour for the residents could be organized to observe the damage being caused to the environment and in turn to their health while the relevant authorities fail to enforce the existing environment protection laws debating over elaborate plans and their possible funding source.

The water recycling plant at Pakistan Steel Mills uses bacterial treatment coupled with an oxidation process. However at times chemicals like phenol does escape due to some lapse in the process. Pakistan Steel probably needs to add traps for such chemicals to its otherwise marvellous facility.

Another problem faced by the facility that is endemic to the public sector is that the experts once managing the facility may have all left service yet no one has been recruited, resulting in decline in the overall technical capabilities.

The treated water being discharged into the Arabian Sea from Mauripur Sewage Treatment Plant even the little quantities being treated at Gutter Bagicha and Mehmoodabad (TP-1 and TP-2) could be supplied as recycled waste water in the city. Also the abandoned KDA oxidation ponds built originally for sewage treatment in North Karachi could be a good source for waste water recycling.

A major problem in the minds of common man while using recycled waste water however shall remain of a cultural psychological barrier.

The people of a city like Karachi proliferating over a vast stretch of coastal desert must appreciate their scarce and precious resources. We cannot afford the luxury of being wasteful.

The psychological barrier in the minds of the people can be overcome if the quality of the supplied waste water does not appear sullied and simply as strained sewage. Even the recycled waste water supplied by DHA carries a profound smell and stink with a dirty texture. Obviously such supply does not do wonders for the psychological factor.

Another problem with improperly treated water is one of nematodes. The grass and plants may show signs of white worms after extended use of improperly treated water. But these trivial problems may be easily overcome if proper procedures are adopted and actions beyond slogans are demonstrated.

The six- inch sweet water connection for Mazar-i-Quaid taken from the COD Lyari may be replaced with a proper waste water recycling plant. The old Sabzimandi as well as Gutter Baghicha should be planted with lots of trees. There is paltry investment required for these steps and well within the reach of the City government. What it may however be lacking could be just plain will.

IT is a general belief in the West that in the eyes of Islam woman is inferior to man. This is due to their lack of access to the Quran and the Trad