| March 15, 2006 | Wednesday | Safar 14, 1427 |
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Cogeneration power plants
Autonomy for provinces
Senate polls
Battering of our beaches
Working children
Health hazards
Credit cards
Bird flu
High fees
Kite-flying ban
Polluted water
Milosevic
THE environment ministry has launched environmental improvement and biodiversity projects worth Rs1.67 billion (Dawn, March 13). Of this, Rs39 million has been allocated for conservation and rehabilitation of Indus delta mangroves for sustainable management which will be carried out by the Sindh forest department.
Surprisingly, the environment ministry has not allocated any amount for improvement of the Kirthar National Park and deprived the community living around of the provision of daily life requirements.
On the other hand, Rs39 million seems inadequate for conservation and rehabilitation of Indus delta mangroves for sustainable management as the destruction of mangrove forests is generally attributed to population pressure, salinity, and deposition of sand and irregular flush of fresh water hampering regeneration of the plants.
Mangroves are a family of evergreen trees and shrubs, providing both a barrier to extreme weather and a rich ecosystem for marine life. These plants are breeding grounds for export- oriented shrimps and other fish species. Environmentalists think the strategy will fail unless the relevant NGOs and the government convince the communities concerned of financial benefits they stand to gain from mangroves, such as firewood, medicinal herbs and fish catches.
According to IUCN, 37 per cent of 600,000 hectares is devoid of any mangrove due to intense cutting and grazing. While another 56 per cent of the very belt has scattered plantation, which is again very thin, and 20,000 hectares were stated to be put under rehabilitation project. Hundreds of camels usually kept at remote islands for around eight to 10 months will be brought back near coastal villages in summer (June and July), which definitely will destroy the small plants.
The other main reason for depleting mangrove forests is decrease in flow of river Indus water. According to estimates, over 150,000 people use about 36,000 tons of mangrove as firewood per month along the 1,050km Pakistan coast, whereas about 16,000 camels, 4,000 to 6,000 cow and water buffaloes and 2,500 to 3,000 cattle graze in mangroves.
Moreover, there is no check on widely occupying mangroves forest land by authorities, increasing marine pollution, and flow of industrial waste of over 4,000 industrial units into the sea. Pollution of the marine environment is another cause of biodiversity loss in coastal areas. Three areas in the coastal region of the Indus delta are significantly polluted: Keti Bunder (to the south near Sir Creek), the metropolitan centre (Karachi, Port Qasim, and Rehri) and the coastline in the west (extending from Sonmiani to Jiwani).
Land clearance for the construction of new sea ports, extension of existing sea ports, and establishment of industrial units near the coast has also contributed to the depletion of mangrove cover, particularly in the northern part of the delta.
Based on past trends, one can easily ascertain the long-term environmental consequences of existing industrial pressures in and around Karachi and of the ineffectiveness of the environmental policy framework. Moreover, if mangroves are to be conserved effectively, a larger water supply has to be assured. This would require improved water-use efficiency in the upstream areas.
Moreover, environmental impact assessments should be regularly carried out by the EPA and published officially to strengthen the mandated efforts to increase public awareness about environment and promotion of research.
Based on discussions with the personnel of the forest department and local community members, reforms need to be formulated to promote cooperation between the department and coastal communities to ensure protection and conservation of mangroves. The levels of income from fishing are promising for the development of financial markets in coastal areas. Development of financial markets would help mobilize household savings and provide credit to develop offshore fishing capacity, which will reduce pressure from in-shore fishing.
A restructuring of National Environmental Quality Standards is needed so that polluters’ ability to pay associated costs and the technological constraints are taken into account.
RASHID ASHRAF
Karachi
RECENT confirmation of commercial manufacturing and marketing of parts for Boeing aircraft by the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex is indeed encouraging news (Dawn, Feb 28). PAC is a “centre of excellence” as rightly announced by the prime minister and the considered focus on marketing to leverage the full potential of PAC augurs well for export of the country’s engineering talents.
Other than the commercial venture for Boeing parts, PAC can contribute, and make good money, on development of locally packaged gas turbine-generators which can easily be extended to the gas turbine engine itself as who knows more about manufacturing and assembly of jet engines than the wonderful devoted engineers of PAC. The required range of such engines will easily fall within the present scope of activities which can also be extended to bigger sizes as we earn foreign exchange (and also save considerable foreign exchange by offering locally packaged gas turbines to replace heavy imports).
Gas turbines, for industrial and commercial use, in the range of 1.5 to 10 MW (ISO rating) can be started with low investments and can be extended to higher utility level power plants in the future. Just for comparison, Bharat Heavy Electricals produces and exports similar power plant in sizes in excess of 150 MW.
The recent ECC’s emphasis on gas conservation and gas allocation to cogeneration power plants will ensure a steady profitable market for packaging gas turbine-generators. Such ventures are normally a win-win situation for all parties concerned — the only requirement is a good service team which can replace the very expensive technicians coming from foreign companies (at exorbitant cost ranging between $120-$150 per hour, yes per hour).
Such commercial ventures will ensure PAC “earning” foreign exchange which can help them generate funds for growth and research in new fields.
The advantage to the country will be immense. Due to higher first costs of gas turbine generators, our industrialists have been investing the country’s precious foreign exchange in gas engine configurations not suitable for efficient cogeneration and the result is that with every increase in gas costs (due regularly with painful reminders), our costs of production are getting out of control. Efficient cogeneration, mostly with gas turbines, will become more affordable once indigenous production takes over.
We hope that day is not far off.
AINUL ABEDIN
Karachi
ALL men of goodwill who have national interest at heart will support the MQM-sponsored conference resolution demanding autonomy for provinces. The resolution is an endorsement of President Pervez Musharraf’s sagacious advice to the nation to consider abolition of the concurrent list of subjects in the Constitution to enable the provinces to stand on their feet economically, financially and socially.
It would be relevant to point out that the provinces created Pakistan through an exercise of their inalienable right to opt out of India and form a separate independent and sovereign state, Pakistan.
It may be recalled that the Cabinet Mission Plan of 1946, which had been accepted by the Quaid-i-Azam and the Muslim League, had envisaged three subjects, namely, defence, foreign relations and Communications, for the centre. Provinces were to exercise complete control on the remaining subjects.
Hopefully, parliament will rise to the occasion and make the requisite amendment to the Constitution.
This measure will promote the much needed harmony in relations between the centre and the provinces which is foundation of true federation.
S. AFZAAL HUSAIN ZAIDI
Islamabad
THE mode of indirect elections to the Senate, currently in vogue in Pakistan, besides being the cause of horse-trading about which some complaints have appeared in the press, particularly relating to the NWFP, has also provided an excellent opportunity to the defeated candidates in National Assembly elections to enter parliament through backdoor.
The list of candidates for the Senate’s just concluded elections contained some names who were defeated in the last National Assembly elections held in 2002. A few of them were able to become members of the upper house though they were rejected by the electorate in the direct National Assembly elections. It is incompatible with democratic norms.
To check this detestable practice, it is necessary to replace the existing system of indirect election to the Senate by a direct one as in the US and Australia. It is relevant to mention that elections to the American Senate used to be on an indirect basis which led to some malpractices. So the lawmakers in the United States were constrained to introduce the system of direct election to the Senate in 1913.
R.R. ALVI
Lahore
THIS refers to Lt-Col (r) Rafat Naqvi’s letter “DHA waterfront development” (March 9) in response to Mr Ardeshir Cowasjee’s column (Feb 19).
Mr Cowasjee’s statement that “ocean foreshore of Karachi is the heritage of all Pakistanis, including our future generations, held in public trust by the government of the day” is indisputable. It is not understood as to why the DHA has taken upon itself to develop the waterfront. It is a job to be done by the city government.
Col Naqvi further states that 80 per cent of the waterfront area are available for “free access to the general public”. The question is why 80 per cent? Why not 100 per cent?. Every inch of the beach belongs to the public. Who is allowing “free access” and to whom? Who are the beneficiaries of 20 per cent waterfront?
The army’s interest in real estate is stretching too far and wide but the public recreational facilities should not be disturbed.
ABDUL SAMAD KHAN
Karachi
ECONOMIC inequalities give birth to a host of social evils, including exploitation of labour, particularly children and women.
Several governmental and non-governmental agencies have been working to combat exploitation of child workers but there is no sign of any mitigation of their miseries, perhaps because these organisations are unable to cross their own pre-determined limitations.
Children are forced to work due to the generally below subsistence income of the family. This compulsion forces children to endure exploitation; as employers, both big and small, prefer child and women workers who provide cheap labour. The country’s laws afford no relief to them. The so-called humanitarian organisations confine themselves to holding seminars and issuing statements of concern but do nothing concrete.
No parents would like their children to be deprived of a better future but poor parents have no option but to send their children to work instead of school. The concept of “heir” in such poor families is that the children share the parents’ burden by working and supplementing the family income, instead of sharing parents’ wealth which is the case with rich families.
The question of child labour in Pakistan needs also to be considered in the context of the dangerously fast rise in population. Despite considerable spending by national and international agencies on population planning, there is no visible improvement in this area. In poor families, parents prefer to have more children because in any case they can’t be sent to school but they can work and contribute to the family income.
When we talk of child labour, the focus is on children engaged in production, children whose labour contributes to making our industrial products competitive in the international market. Sufferings of tens of thousands of girls who work for abysmally low wages in private schools and offices receive no attention.
These are children whom their parents have provided education in spite of extreme poverty and meagre resources, in the hope that they will be assured of a better future. These girls are educated at the expense of the collective welfare of the family. But misfortune does not spare them.
They slog for long hours in private schools and offices for very low salaries in an effort to supplement the income of their parents and to contribute to the inevitable “dowry” for their marriage, which their parents’ income alone cannot meet. As teachers or clerks, they are paid not more than Rs700 to Rs800 a month, and even less.
In my opinion, without the establishment of a social order that adequately takes care of the needs and well-being of the people, it is neither possible nor advisable to abolish child labour through legislation. However, measures need to be taken to lessen the rigours of labour for children and provide them easier working conditions and better facilities, as well as opportunities to better their future.
I propose that NGOs and the government jointly set up an institute where working children can receive (without paying fees) education and technical training and skill development in the same occupation in which they are at present engaged. Employers should be bound to allow child workers to attend the institute for half a day, at least twice/thrice a week, without deducting wages. In this way, it will be possible for working children to acquire education and skill and become useful members of society.
MOHAMMAD YAMIN
Karachi
EVERYTHING we encounter in our life has a bad or good effect on our body, directly or indirectly. For instance, if smoking one cigarette a day has a one-time bad effect, then seven cigarettes in a week will have seven times the effect.
Similarly, there are a number of other things happening in our daily life, whose impact could be quite dangerous after 10 to 20 years but we are ignoring them. These are unhygienic conditions prevailing at places like vegetable markets, slaughter-houses, butcher shops, chicken sale points, hotels, local and main markets/bazaars.
Pollution caused by traffic and sewage problems, sale of unauthorised medicines and so-called aphrodisiacs in buses and local markets — all these too pose a great health hazard.
DR HAROON RASHID
Lahore
This refers to the report by Shahid Iqbal (Feb 24) on “Credit cards proving to be too costly”. The facts narrated are quite true. In case of a card complaint made on the telephone, banks ask customers to lodge their complaints through a fax message, which in most cases is ignored.
There are number of foreign and local banks which have sold millions of credit cards in Pakistan by misguiding customers, most of whom are first-time credit card users. The annual membership fee itself needs review. During the last 12 years a gold credit card member would have paid Rs 48,000 and silver credit card member Rs 24,000 just for keeping the credit cards in their wallets.
I request the State Bank governor to look into the matter.
SYED A. MATEEN
Karachi
I WAS buying groceries when I noticed a banner on all poultry shops which translates into: “Our beloved Pakistan is free from bird flu. The drama of bird flu is created by the Jews” What do Jews have to do with bird flu?
The epidemic has been spreading all across Europe and Asia and not just in Pakistan or the Islamic world. If poultry shops or the Poultry Association of Pakistan know thatJews are behind the bird flu fiasco, they should provide evidence. To any sensible person the whole idea is foolish. It seems that we as a nation are not willing to take any responsibility and tend to pass the blame on to others.
WAQAS AHMED PAI
Karachi
I WOULD like to draw attention to the increase in fees for evening classes at private universities in Karachi. The fees are becoming increasingly high, and students who work in the day to help support their families cannot afford them.
If the government truly wants to make the people of this country educated it must not forget that unless its deprived people are able to afford higher education, its plan for future progress won’t work.
AFSHEEN KAMAL
Karachi
THE Punjab government has imposed a complete ban on kite flying throughout the province. The ban on was actually imposed by the Supreme Court of Pakistan after family members of a twine-victim, who had lost his voice, appealed for justice.
The Supreme Court also directed the government of Punjab to draft a law for kite-flying. But instead of drafting such a law, the Punjab government made a request to the Supreme Court for relaxation on the ban for 14 days with a further request of relaxation for another four days for Basant.
This resulted in death of several people, including two minor children.
The government of Pakistan needs to sort out this issue once and for all. Flying kites in the entire country should be completely banned in order to save precious human lives.
SYED A. MATEEN
Karachi
WATER, a primary necessity of life, is not adequately available to half of the population in our country and where it is available, it is contaminated and dirty. In Dawn of Feb 25 there was a news item saying that eight people died in a Chitral village due to gastro-enteritis diseases such as diarrhoea, dysentery and vomiting. Such news reports seem to be common nowadays as people are forced to use impure water daily routine.
The authorities concerned should look seriously into the factors causing contamination in water, especially corroded pipelines and gutters flushing into streams.
The government should have filtration plants throughout the country. Awareness should be created about the importance of boiled water to control the havoc created by contaminated water. Human life is precious and it should not be wasted away because of contaminated water.
FAIZA SULTANA
Karachi
Slobodan Milosevic’s death has prevented him from facing punishment in this world for his crimes, including the massacre of some 8,000 Muslims in the eastern Bosnian town of Srebrenica after its capture by Serb forces. History will never forget Slobodan Milosevic and his crimes.
NASIR FAROOQ
Karachi
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