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| Seven cows die consuming polluted water discharged by factory |
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Monday, January 28, 2008
Karachi
Seven cows died on Sunday while consuming poisonous water being discharged by a fertiliser factory and other mills located near Ghaghar Phattak, Bin Qasim Town, local residents told The News on Sunday.
The industrial waste is streaming into old Ghaghar River, going through to the sea. The villagers belonging to Sodho Goth, Peer Bux Goth, Nizam Goth and others are very concerned about the loss of their livestock, which, they say, is increasing due to the discharge of factory waste into the river.
They complained that the fertiliser factory, established in 1976, and other units set up later are playing havoc with the lives of local people who depend on their livestock. “We have lost several animals that wander in the area and drink the poisonous water from the Ghaghar River.
Earlier, it was clean rain river and supportive for the local people, who keep cattle in the hundreds; but now the river has turned hazardous after receiving the waste from the factory.” The dead cows were owned by Peer Bux, Pakhrio, Mohammed and Mahmood, all belonging to villages surrounding the factory in question. They said the actual number of animals lost since the untreated factory waste was being released in the river runs into the hundreds.
Livestock owners have demanded compensation from the authorities concerned for villagers who have lost their animals. They have also called for effective measures to be taken against the violation of environmental laws by factories, which, they say, have become dangerous for the local populace.
Located in a wide grazing field, the Ghaghar River is the main source of drinking water for the animals owned by local people. Under the current situation, locals are reluctant to send their cattle to natural grazing fields in the area.
Meanwhile, local fishermen say that the industrial waste being streamed to the coastal areas has destroyed fishing grounds and also devastated other marine life in the sea.
“We have complained against this but the authorities have never paid heed to our grievances. Fishermen earlier were catching fish from the seashore near their abodes but now they are compelled to go to the open sea for their catch as there is no more fish near there,” said Sami Memon, a spokesman for the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum.
He said that not only has the increasing pollution destroyed fish stock but has also ruined mangroves, which are breeding grounds for shrimps and a natural source for fodder collected by local cattle owners.
He said that the life of residents belonging to Ibrahim Hydri, Rehri, Chashma Goth, Jatt Goth and other coastal localities is under threat due to the discharge of industrial waste into the sea without any check.
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ISSN 1563-9479 
