KARACHI, Nov 21: Adviser to Sindh chief minister on Environment and Alternate Energy Noman Saigal on Saturday took serious notice of dumping and burning of garbage near Ibrahim Hyderi , which is posing threat to the health of area residents as well as to the marine life.

Mr Saigal urged the city government, town administrations and other civic agencies to identify more land-fill sites, and dump the garbage and solid waste there properly.

During his visit to the site located in the limits of Bin Qasim Town, he ordered the director-general, Environmental Protection Agency, Shafique Ahmed Khosa, to write a letter to the city nazim and inform him about the situation.

The adviser was briefed that the garbage was being dumped and burnt in the area by some towns and other civic agencies, while some people had been burning garbage to collect iron and other metals for the last one year, and they had hired staff for the purpose.

The garbage dumped along the beaches creates marine pollution, as high tides carry it with them over to vast area of the sea. Reportedly, there were only two designated garbage dumping sites in the city, one at Surjani and other at Jam Chakro near the National Highway.

Mr Saigal told the media that $50 million aid from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for coastal development was blocked only due to such illegal dumping and organized encroachments along the beaches.

He said if the beaches were not cleared, those who imported seafood form Pakistan would never turn up here for the commodity. He said he would also raise the issue before Sindh governor and the chief minister to seek their support in this regard.

"The Governor had ordered cleaning of the city including picking up of the solid waste. But this did not meant that it should be dumped in this way," the advisor remarked.

Taking notice of the discharge of sewage and chemical waste from Korangi industrial area into the sea, the adviser ordered sampling of water for testing purposes, as it was allegedly affecting marine life and mangroves. He said he would brief Sindh governor about the situation.

"We are doing a lot with meagre resources. We have started our campaign against contaminated water from today and action will be taken against those contaminating water," he added. - APP/PPI