KARACHI, Oct 8: In spite of the clear directives by the Sindh High Court in April this year about phasing out the faulty and smoke-emitting public transport vehicles in Karachi within three months to protect environment, no concrete measures in this regard are being taken.

Karachi, once a city of lights fast transforming itself into a model city of the world, has turned now turned into a jungle of slums with over-flowing gutters, dilapidated roads, rampant lawlessness, chaotic traffic and ever rising pollution. The factors contributing to this adverse situation include neglect and the lack of a sense of ownership in government, political parties and civil society organisations.

According to a Suparco report released in July 2006, air and water pollution levels in Karachi have crossed national and international environment danger marks.

The Economic Survey of Pakistan 2005-06 also observes that air pollution level in Pakistani cities is the highest in world and still rising.

The survey reveals that the smoke and dust participle, known as SPM, that causes lung diseases, in Karachi is twice the world average and five times higher than in the developed countries and Latin America.

The major causes of rise in air pollution are dust, industrial waste, burning of solid waste, smoke-emitting vehicles (especially two-stroke vehicles), diesel trucks and buses and use of substandard fuel.

It must be noted that there are about 75,000 rickshaws, buses, minibuses, taxies, trucks, delivery vans and pick-ups plying on city roads without any integrated vehicle checking system.Environmentalists are of opinion that air pollution from vehicular emission can be controlled at different levels by installing pollution control devices whereas environmental degradation can be checked by switching over to cleaner fuel and modification in the design of engines and by phasing out the obsolete technology.

Some rickshaw owners and drivers, when contacted, told PPI they were willing to convert their vehicles to four-stroke rickshaw, using CNG as an environment-friendly fuel provided that the financial assistance required was made available to them.

Quoting example of Delhi, they argued that the government could arrange for such a financial assistance as did the Indian government by spending billions of rupees to curb pollution in Delhi.

Karachiites have been hearing since long about the introduction of several thousand CNG-buses and revival of the entire Karachi Circular Railway (KCR), but both the promises are without a firm deadline.

Another major concern is the discharge of million of gallons of untreated industrial effluent into the sea.

In March this year, Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad had told tanneries to set up their own treatment plants to help control environmental degradation, but it appeared that owners of these tanneries and other industries have turned a deaf ear to his call.

Fishermen communities in Ibrahim Haideri and the downtown coastal areas of Karachi have been complaining of devastating effects on marine resources due to the discharge of toxic chemicals into sea. They maintain that this practice has been posing a serious threat not only to the marine life and seafood products, but also to the human life.

Experts say that Karachi needs integrated policies and approach on a sustainable clean and healthy environment through an effective enforcement of relevant laws to avoid further devastation.—PPI