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KARACHI last weekend mirrored the non-functioning of our elected governments in Islamabad and the provincial capitals. The failures of the KESC, the provincial and city governments, are symptomatic of the failures of the federal government — a mishmash of corruption, ineptitude and nepotism

Amidst the chaos is a group of rare citizens who possess that even rarer trait in this sad Republic — civic sense.

The People & Nature Initiative (PANI) was established by Jameel Yousuf , Amer Maqbool, Muhammad Rajpar, Maqsood Ismail, Akeel Bilgrami, Shahid Abdullah, Ali Akbar, Tariq Qaiser, Yawar Jilani, Mahboob Khan, Khadija-tul-Kubra, Moyena Niazi, Gibran Mir, Yunas Sheikh, Rashid Usmani, Abid Bengali, Aref Cheval, Aziz Memon, Rukhsana Saleem and Khalid Mahmood. Their concern is the 4,000-plus million gallons per day (mgd) of raw, untreated sewage (contaminated with toxic chemicals) now dumped into the creeks, rivers and sea around the city.

The resultant ecological and socio-economic damage to the marine environment, mangroves, fish and shrimp breeding, beaches, port resources, and tourism, defies description. Three existing sewage-treatment plants at SITE, Gutter Baghicha), Mahmoodabad and Mauripur have a design capacity of 150 mgd but are running at less than half-capacity (the first two plants have been recently invaded by politically-sponsored land-grabbers, potentially defeating plans to expand these facilities for the exploding population of Karachi.)

PANI proposes to develop 118 acres of mangrove area along the Mai Kolachi Causeway as the Kolachi Wetland Reserve, within which Chandni Park, on 12 acres, would be an eco-friendly wetland park, accessible to the public. Using low-tech, low-cost technology essentially based on large septic-tanks and aeration channels/lakes, it is estimated that in the first phase 30 mgd of sewage of the inflow from nullahs and katchi abadis into Clifton Boat Basin/Chinna Creek will be treated at a capital cost of around Rs0.8bn (about 10 per cent of the cost of a conventional sewage-treatment plant). Additional features visualised include eco-tourism, bird sanctuaries, community playgrounds,17.5 million kg/month of organic fertiliser, 30 mgd of treated water for agriculture/ horticulture, mangrove honey-farming, recreational fishing/boating and so forth.

This initiative of sound environmental practice and sustainable development, seeking to provide equally for the varied and conflicting factors of conservation, tourism, education and recreation is a model to be replicated at the national level.

Aside from the residents of Karachi, the main beneficiaries of reduction in the pollution of harbour waters, into which 70 per cent of Karachi's sewage enters, will be the Pakistan Navy (which sustains a loss of billions of rupees annually to their ships, submarines and docks due to sewage-induced accelerated corrosion) and the Karachi Port Trust. The latter is providing 118 acres of reclaimed land along the causeway for the project plus the finances required for the reserve. International consultants are being utilised to design details of the wetland sewage-treatment system at Mai Kolachi.

Hurdles anticipated include public access restrictions due to the proximity of the new US consulate, and conflicting claims on the KPT land by mafias and influential parties given dubious allotments by the Board of Revenue. PANI is an intervener in litigation pending in the Sindh High Court in litigations involving the freeing of this public land for the beneficial use of the city. The project needs the support and involvement of concerned and knowledgeable citizens, so that Karachi does not eventually drown in its own wastes! (Help contact jy@trakker.com.pk )

Our city's director-general (parks & horticulture), Liaquat Ali Khan, should learn from PANI's efforts. He recently invited tenders in the press for laying 'sewerage pipeline connecting Nehr-i-Khayyam to sea with valves for Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Park (Boat Basin), Clifton.'

The NGO Shehri wrote asking why CDGK in violation of the Environment Protection Act 1997 is promoting dumping of sewage in the sea. How can a public park operate in such close proximity to a stinking cesspool? He should think in terms of constructing something similar to the Kolachi Wetland Reserve in Nehr-i-Khayyam using part of the Rs22bn earmarked by the federal and provincial governments for a 'Green Karachi'.

Now to a matter of the moment six years ago, in August 2003, I wrote 'From time immemorial, cities and buildings have been equipped with storm drainage systems and sanitary sewerage systems. The storm drainage system helps prevent flooding by diverting rain and melted snow, and the sewerage systems are there to protect public health and the environment by collecting and treating waste water from houses, schools, hospitals, businesses, industries, etc.

'For storm drainage, a master plan has to be drawn up showing the levels and slopes of all land and areas within urban limits and an engineering strategy and design developed to ensure that the worst precipitation (over a set period of years) is safely carried away to a nearby river, lake or the sea. This is mainly based on the natural fall-off of the land, as it has existed over centuries.

'Part of the strategy is the administration and implementation of storm drainage regulations, the control of changes and improvements in streets, roads, curbs, plot and land development inlets, gullies, pipes, culverts and channels, and ensuring that all are efficiently maintained and cleaned (it is against the law to alter the flow of storm-water).'

This fell on deaf ears. Karachi has absolutely no storm drainage rules or plans. Unrestricted construction alters the flow of storm water, causing it to pool and stagnate. The levels of roads and pedestrian footpaths rise, effectively blocking the natural, gravitational flow of rain-water.

With global warming, weather patterns will change and rains increase. Karachi's population if fast exploding, and with it the unplanned and illegal constructions which further elevate the heights of roads. Brace yourselves for more floods and all that goes with them.

arfc@cyber.net.com