So zealous has been the quest to reclaim land in Karachi, usually to construct high-rises for the elite, that we have paid little attention to the environmental impact of all the development going on. A briefing given by experts to members of the Senate Standing Committee on Planning and Development revealed that the coastlines of Sindh and Balochistan are being steadily eroded and natural barriers like mangroves and islands being destroyed. All of this can be chalked up to the fervent pace of development activity, much of it carried out without any forethought. Part of the problem is one of jurisdiction over the land. The management of the coastal line should be the responsibility of the provincial government under the 18th Amendment to the constitution, but it is either handed over at throwaway prices to favoured private developers by the federal government or claimed by defence housing societies. Both are far too powerful to be challenged by provincial and city governments and so we see the continuous sinking of the Indus Delta. This, in turn, almost guarantees that any future natural disasters – already occurring at an accelerated pace thanks to climate change – will wreak even more havoc than normal.
The encroachment of coastal lands and drainage channels means that effluent and other pollution is being discharged into our water supply while the coasts are losing their diversity of fish since most cannot survive the development. This has led to a crisis for fishermen who are losing the only livelihood they have ever known. According to the National Environment Policy of 2005, all development should take place on the basis of sustainable development, equitable access to environmental resources, integration of environmental concerns during the planning stage and the consultation of affected communities. Needless to say, the distribution of a few well-directed bribes ensures that none of this takes place. Drastic measures are now needed. We should announce an immediate moratorium on the development of new projects along the coast until we have a better idea of their impact. Citizens must also be allowed to have their concerns heard and addressed. The Coastal Zone Regulation of 1991 already says that reclamation is not permitted for the construction of shopping and housing complexes but this law has been breached in letter and spirit. We may already be past the point of no return but at least we have to try and save ourselves from the worst of this entirely human-caused environmental catastrophe.
