Islamabad, April 20 (IANS) Unchecked dumping of industrial chemicals and livestock waste into the sea is pushing coastal ecosystem of Pakistan’s Karachi city towards a crisis, with marine life and fishing community facing serious consequences, local media reported citing information from the Coastal Media Centre.
According to the Coastal Media Centre, the area of Rehri Goth remains polluted as industrial waste and sewage flows into the sea. The organisation stated that the waste has led to fishing industry being on the verge of collapse, Pakistan’s leading daily The Express Tribune reported.
The newspaper highlighted that fish breeding has been disrupted and fishermen were facing several health risks due to the pollution. Thousands of gallons of untreated wastewater reportedly flows into the sea every day, causing widespread damage to marine ecosystems and impacting the livelihoods of those reliant on fishing.
Another media outlet, Pakistan Today, quoted Coastal Media Centre spokesperson Kamal Shah as saying that waste from Bhains Colony, including animal dung from cattle farms, is being released into coastal waters. He also said chemical discharge from textile and leather dyeing factories is being dumped into the sea without restraint.
“The statement linked these discharges to worsening environmental conditions along the coast, particularly in and around Rehri Goth, where fishing has long been a source of income for local residents. The organisation said the continued inflow of untreated waste is not only degrading water quality but also undermining the coastal ecosystem on which marine species and fishing communities rely,” the report mentioned.
The Coastal Media Centre has emphasised that the situation has reached an alarming stage as pollution continues unchecked.
“The organisation’s statement underscored that the impact is being felt both in ecological and human terms, with marine habitats under strain and fishermen facing growing risks to their health and income. It said the ongoing contamination of coastal waters is causing widespread damage and deepening concerns over the future of the area’s fishing industry,” Pakistan Today reported.
–IANS
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