Sepa directed to take steps to curb marine pollution

Senate’s standing committee on climate change expresses

concerns over destruction of mangroves and sea life

Karachi

The Senate’s standing committee on climate change expressed grave concerns on Wednesday over the increasing levels of marine pollution that was destroying aquatic ecosystems, particularly mangroves and sea life.

The committee asked the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa) and the Sindh Wildlife and Forest Department to take corrective measures in collaboration with the relevant government authorities to tackle marine pollution by controlling the disposal of untreated industrial effluent and domestic sewage into the sea.

At a meeting presided over by the committee’s chairman, Mir Muhammad Yousaf Badini, the Senate body highlighted the significance of Pakistan’s marine and coastal ecosystems and the biodiversity they supported.

The meeting was held at the committee room of the chief secretary’s office at the Sindh Secretariat.

“It is a matter of concern that unsustainable human interference, construction activities, conversion of mangroves area for non-confirming uses, and the release of untreated industrial and domestic sewage have deprived the country of the sustainability of such socio-economic and environmental benefits,” Badini noted.

“We must realise that the seas provide a unique set of goods and services to society, including moderation of climate, processing of waste and toxicants, provision of vital food, medicines and employment for a significant number of people. Our coasts provide space to live and directly and indirectly create wealth, including millions of jobs in industries such as fishing, aquaculture and tourism.”

Nuzhat Sadiq, a committee member, noted that awareness among local communities and other stakeholders and the enforcement of relevant environmental laws were vital to protecting the marine and coastal ecosystems from further degradation.

Climate Change secretary Syed Abu Ahmed Akif said Pakistan’s coastal areas were most likely to face growing climate risks like storm surges, sea level-rise, cyclones, heat waves, cloud bursts in future.

“Climate change poses risks for cities near the ocean and could flood more often or more severely, if sea level continues to rise. If that happens, many people will lose their homes and businesses,” he warned.

He suggested that these climate change-induced risks could be mitigated through adaptation measures, mainly increasing mangroves forest cover and averting encroachment in coastal areas, boosting the network of early coastal cyclone warning systems and sensiting coastal communities about possible coping measures to save their lives and livelihoods.

Sindh chief conservator of forests, Aijaz Ahmed Nizamani, briefed the committee about various measures taken for boosting mangroves forest cover in the province.

He said around 110,212 mangrove trees had been planted over the last 23 years in different coastal areas of the province, with a survival ratio of over 70 percent.

“But the release of fresh water that also carries nutrient-rich silt and deposits it into the Indus delta is a pre-dominant cause of the rapid worsening state of the mangrove forests and was a stumbling block to the growth of new mangroves forests planted time to time,” Nizamani added.

Besides, the inadequate flow of fresh water into the Indus Delta is also leading to the coastal bank erosion and sea intrusion in the inland fertile areas.

“Other threats include cutting of mangroves for fuel and fodder and grazing purposes,” he explained.

The chief conservator pointed out that environmentalists advocate a minimum 10 million acre feet (MAF) freshwater discharge into the delta for sustainable management.

Informing the Senate body about the benefits and services the country’s mangroves forests provide, the chief conservator said besides being the first natural wall of defence against natural calamities including cyclones and sea level rise, the forests were important supplier of nutrient and oxygen, resource-rich habitat for many species of fish and shrimp.

They also help stabilise shorelines, reduce coastal erosion, protect coastal areas from storm damage and act as carbon sinks and natural water treatment plants.

“Given all the socio-economic and environmental benefits, the economic value of the Sindh province’s mangroves forests stretched over 607,660 hectares runs into billions of dollars,” Nizamani said.

Sepa Karachi director general Naeem Ahmad Mughal briefed the participants of the meeting about the sources, impacts and measures for tackling pollution in the coastal areas.

He ranked the release of domestic sewage (estimated 450 million gallons per day) and the disposal of untreated industrial effluents (nearly 80 million gallons per day) as the major reason behind the increasing marine pollution.

“Other threats include the soaring industrialisation, dumping of solid wastes, unsustainable port-related activities, urbanisation, oil pollution, the increasing number of cattle colonies and slaughter houses, and illegal industrial activities in Ibrahim Hyderi and Rehri villages,” he pointed out.

“Sepa has taken several measures including action for immediate installation of an in-house treatment facility for waster water effluent discharge in result about 65 treatment plants has been established in different industrial estates of Sindh. Besides, about 120 tanneries have been directed to treat their effluent through combine effluent treatment plant specially designed for tanneries.”

He added that notices had been issued to the Malir cantonment, DHA, the Faisal cantonment, the PNS Karsaz and the PNS Qasim to install wastewater treatment plant for the treatment of domestic sewage generated within their jurisdictions.

He underlined the need for enhancing effectiveness of the Sepa through the enforcement of environmental laws, consultative process with the industries and other stakeholders including NGOs for motivation towards protection of environment and natural resources, and increasing coordination with public sector organisations ((the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, the DHA, cantonment boards, and the local government department)  to incorporate environmental policies with their plans as well as developmental schemes to address environmental issues.