KARACHI, June 5: Like elsewhere around the globe, World Environment Day was observed in Karachi on Thursday with various organizations and individuals pledging to play an active role in ensuring sustainable and equitable development on the Earth.

Taking part in different events, experts, government organization, NGOs, activists and students — indulged in efforts to protect Nature and environment — renewed their commitment to work more vigorously in enhancing awareness about environmental issues in masses and motivate them for a meaningful change. They also advocated the public-private sectors partnership in crusade against environmental hazards in Karachi as well as in the whole country.

At discussions, debates and seminars organized to mark the Day, speakers focused on the theme Water — Two billion People Are Dying For It! selected for the year 2003 event. Though, they spoke on various issues relating to environment, their emphasis was on the depleting resources, wastage, as well as contamination at different stages, of clean water in the world.

The Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa), with the coordination of provincial and local government organizations and NGOs, staged street theatres and held declamation contest besides other programmes. Painting and poster competitions were held at educational institutions to mark the Day.

Theatres titled Mujhe Zinda Rehne Do were staged at Rabia Basri School (Gulberg Town), College of Business Management and PACC Auditorium. While performing in the theatres, the Natak Group of stage and street artistes dropped small messages impressing upon the individuals that they could make a difference with their thoughtful actions.

The performers depicted good and bad moves that people resort to consciously or unconsciously and highlighted the moves that cause damage to environment. Their actions and dialogues also highlighted the problems people resorting to spreading waste, cutting trees, playing music in high pitch, using smoke emitting vehicles, contaminating water, making noise pollution and polluting water by disposing of untreated waste into rivers and the sea.

Speaking at the concluding ceremony of the street theatre at PACC Auditorium, the adviser to the CM, Faisal Malik, called for public awareness about environmental rules so that they could act on their own to combat the menace of pollution. The government is trying to address the environmental problems, but there is lot to be done by the people, community and media people as well, he noted.

Speaking at Rabia Basri School, the DG of Sepa, Shafique Ahmad Khoso, referred to the different environmental rules and standards that, he said, would go a long way in curtailing the main sources of pollution.

A painting and poster competition among students of various secondary schools, which are known as local bodies schools, was held at Sir Agha Khan Secondary School, Azizabad. The chain of schools, located in Liaquatabad Town, was adjudged as the winner of first prize, followed by the schools of Shah Faisal and Gulberg towns, which secured second and third prizes respectively.

The minister for local bodies, Muhammad Hussain, appreciated the role of schools in spreading awareness on environment effectively. He also announced that the government would revive environmental clubs at schools level.

At a declamation competition, students of school, colleges and universities referred to the available water resources and expressed their resentment over the way water was being wasted by the fortunate ones.

They called for adopting measures to conserve water, and making all water reservoirs, rivers, dams, canals and water storage systems safer.

Faisal Malik was the chief guest of the final round of the debate. He also gave away prizes to the best speakers.

The winners in four categories were:

Topic 1 “Water in the 21st century”: Ms Maria Amir of Defence Authority College for Women (first), Ms Nageen Sultana of SZABIST (second) and Cadet Tipu Sultan of Cadet College, Petaro (third).

Topic 2 “Environmental Aspects of water”: Ms Maryam Sadoon of Hamdard University (first), Mr Omair Mehmood of Army Public School O-levels (second) and Cadet Ali Shah of Cadet College, Petaro (third).

Topic 3 “Preserving water, combating poverty”: Mr Omar Ansari of Hamdard University (first), Ms Hira Arshad of Defence Authority College (second) and Cadet Salik Nazir of Cadet College, Petaro (third).

Topic 4 “The role of youth in water conservation — the most precious commodity”: Ms Sabeen Shamsi of Greenwich University (first), Ms Mahwish Aijaz of DHA College For Women (second) and Qudsia Bhatti of St. Joseph’s College for Women (third).

In his presidential speech, Mr Malik deplored the overall situation pertaining to water conservation and lack of awareness in people on the issue.

He observed that housing and building planning in the past had been defective. “The failure in timely checking the improper or out of proportion exploitation of residential plots for commercial purposes in the megapolis had ultimately doubled the task of water board and other utilities,” he remarked.

The declamation contest was organized jointly by the Sepa, University of Karachi and an NGO, Progress. For overall best performance. the team trophy went to the Cadet College, Petaro.

Speaking at the concluding session of the contests, Commander Karachi Vice Admiral Irfan Ahmad said that the issue of global water crisis today was not very old and it had more to do with the unsustainable practices and lifestyles which had witnessed the negative effects of development.

He said that the training and raising of public awareness capacity building in both its human and institutional dimensions were additional prerequisites for achieving water-related objectives.

“We should not forget the stark realities of people in our slum and rural communities, who wage a daily war at their level to obtain enough freshwater to give hope to their families,” he said, adding that they had neither access to safe drinking water nor adequate sanitation.

The provincial secretary, Forest and Wildlife, said that every year the World Environment Day provided a unique opportunity for local and global action to tackle many environmental challenges facing people. Talking about the water scarcity, he called for finding simple and cheap solutions.

The Secretary, Environment and Alternative Energy, Sindh, Aslam Sanjrani, lauded the efforts and talent of the students who secured positions. These brilliant people, he remarked, were fully aware of the issues related to environment and water scarcity and had the potential of becoming good resource persons for creating awareness in masse.

Chairman of the Progress and convener of the debate competition, Dr M. A. Wajid highlighted the environmental issues and stressed that the education and sensitization of citizens, particularly the youth, regarding sustainability must reach and mobilize people in every nook and corner of the country.

Others who spoke at the declamation contest ceremony included Chief Secretary Sindh, K. B. Rind, registrar of the University of Karachi, Dr M. A. Rauf and Brig Javed Ashraf of Water and Sanitation Department.