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Step 1: Find a piece of land. Preferably one enjoying protected status such as a Mangrove forest , it goes particularly well after the monsoon season.
The Mangroves near Mai Kolachi bridge, Karachi
Step 2: Find all the trash and toxic chemicals – even human waste will do just fine, and then dump it on that selected piece of land.
Mounds of rubbish and dirt piled near Mangroves located near Boat Basin, Karachi
Step 3: After several mounds of trash have accumulated, discreetly light fire to it and let it burn over night. Repeat until the trash is reduced to a mound of ash that resembles a hill. Remember, thick and black smoke tells you that you are doing step three just right.
Rubbish being burnt at the Mangrove site next to Mai Kolachi, Karachi
Step 4: After several hills have formed in the process and begin to resemble a range of sorts, replace the garbage trucks with dumpers. Using the dumpers, now unload massive boulders and heaps of sand on the site. Step four is bound to get you noticed by local authorities or concerned citizens. If so, suspend activity for a while. Give it a few days before returning to the activity with full confidence.* The end result should be satisfying. A couple of weeks of work should be enough for you to acquire a sizeable piece of land.
*Pretending to be officials from the city district government, KPT or KDA will also get you out of a tough situation. Another sure fire reason that’ll help: claim that you are burning the trash and mangroves upon the orders of ‘higher’ authorities who want the area neat and clean.
Cleared for construction?
Mangrove forests in Sindh have been declared as a protective area, but are they really being preserved? For more information on Mangroves and the many reasons why they are so important to the environment, you may check the following links: -http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/blue_planet/coasts/mangroves/ -http://www.urckarachi.org/CLIFTON%20BEACH.HTM
Taimur Sikander, who wishes there were more trees in Karachi, is a Sports Editor at Dawn.com
* Photos by Taimur Sikander
The views expressed by this blogger and in the following reader comments do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Dawn Media Group.
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Comments (16) Closed
Oct 05, 2010 01:40pm
Good work, Good to highlight the problems, we should also talk about solutions as well. We should create awareness by working Co-operatively by giving lectures in School, asking University/collage/school students to do reasearch and other sorts of activity. When you create a voice then the concerned authorities will have to stop this curruption otherwise they will keep turning a blind eye knowing that hamari Awaam so rahi hey.....
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Oct 07, 2010 03:16pm
congratulation man
well documented article
with lots of links
mangrove is part of marine ecology
destroy it
destroy planet earth
as a SCUBA Diver i can say that the planet "earth" is out for hell
lol
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Oct 03, 2010 02:03pm
Beautiful. When we do our bit it would certainly make a difference to the receiver of the benefit. very thought provoking.
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Oct 03, 2010 02:00pm
It is not enough that a government official gets to read it what is needed is a responsible and honest government officer that is not bent upon taking money from the land mafia.
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Oct 03, 2010 11:23am
Land grabbers are the main culprits here. They will illegally occupy any land, mangroves, railways, amenity plots, cricket fields etc. Like many other areas, our government needs to deal with them firmly. Even if it means some really tough measures like bull-dozing illegal construction after giving due ultimatum.
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Oct 02, 2010 10:19pm
Look at the work undertaken by Professor Dan Janzen in Costa Rica http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Janzen as a model to learn from and emulate.
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Oct 03, 2010 12:33am
Well done. I like the underlying tone of your article. Much needed write up. I hope any govt official is reading it. I really hope so.
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Oct 02, 2010 10:14am
murtaZ aLi jafRi
i once attended a spiritual course of the "art of living society" and had the opportunity of listening to sRi sRi raVi shankaR
hE told the following story;
a kid on a beach was throwing back in the ocean starfishes that the tide had brought on the beach
thE sun was setting on the horizon
thE sea was receding
manY starfishes would stay ashore and die
thE kid father shouted: "KiD its time to go back"
ThE kid said:
"waiT, i throw this last one"
thE father replied:
"it will not make any difference"
thE kid replied:
"iT will for this one"
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Oct 02, 2010 09:55am
congratulation man
well documented article
with lots of links
mangrove is part of marine ecology
destroy it
destroy planet earth
as a SCUBA Diver i can say that the planet "earth" is out for hell
lol
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Oct 02, 2010 09:48am
sorry, sometimes it is the only way to get things through to our society
lol
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Oct 02, 2010 04:26am
ah like it!
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Oct 02, 2010 01:31am
the land grabbers always hav some backing mostly the backing of political parties this should be stop.the destuction of forests was one of the reasons of the great flood we saw ,which has bought a great loss of lives ,property, our economy has cme to a halt.now these mangroove have saved Karachi from deructive tides but also they r breeding grounds for a lots of sea animals. i dont know why our public is so much unaware.which includes the govt. and comman man both r responsible for this countries downfall.
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Oct 01, 2010 02:34pm
Realy funny and sercastic way to give real massage.
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Oct 02, 2010 11:20am
If a person delay to do everything until you're positive it's right, you will probably never accomplish much of anything
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Oct 01, 2010 08:32am
Why bother, the floods have largely cleared inhabitants off their lands. Just take a couple hundred of guys (who've sworn a blood oath to you; keep their families strapped to C4 for insurance) and just sit on it. It's called land grab. No trees get hurt.
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Oct 03, 2010 12:51pm
What a shameful way for getting rid of waste in such way that is harmful to environment. How about Landfills, transfer stations , incineration procedures. No doubt we are still living in cave man age.
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