THE Sindh government plants saplings to sustain and enlarge the mangrove forest along the coastal belt at least once a year as it gets foreign funds specifically for this purpose. But it does nothing to address the root cause that happens to be behind the crisis in terms of depleting mangrove resources.

All kind of waste, untreated/unfiltered, especially hazardous industrial chemical waste, is being dumped into the sea since ages. All marine life along the coast has been wiped out by the rising tide of marine pollution.

Fishermen now have to go deep into the sea to catch fish. Various kinds of diseases have hit human settlements along the coast, affecting fishermen, their families and people living in such communities.

The smell floating in the air close to the beach is so horribly pungent — and at times, even toxic — that people have stopped going to the beach in Karachi. Instead, they have started going to the beaches in Balochistan now. This can be confirmed by any tour operator in Karachi.

The government should devise a policy to save the remaining mangrove forests and marine life. It should work on a war footing to establish treatment plants for all kind of waste before it is released into the sea.

Big industries should also take responsibility of having industrial waste treated on their own as part of their corporate social responsibility.

Moiz Khan Saifi

Karachi

Published in Dawn, May 8th, 2021