THE rising number of eye infections and road traffic accidents in Malir and Korangi areas is a loud warning that our environ-mental laws and basic civic sense are failing to protect us. We have reached a point where factories and local sites burning waste in the open are tolerated, while the health and safety of ordinary citizens are treated as if they just do not matter.
Anyone who rides a motorcycle through these areas knows exactly how bad the situation has become. People are constantly burning agricultural and industrial waste. The resulting thick smoke is harmful enough, but the real danger is the flying ash.
The tiny, burning particles fly straight into riders’ eyes even if they are wearing helmets. This causes instant, blinding pain, followed by eye infection. On our already chaotic roads, being blinded for even a couple of seconds while riding a motorcycle is extremely dangerous, and can easily lead to a serious accident.
The Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa) and local town adminis-trations should not ignore this issue any further. We surely need a rather strict, on-the-ground ban on open-air burning in these industrial and residential zones before more people get seriously hurt.
Qamarzaman
Karachi
Published in Dawn, September 15th, 2026
