Environmental pollution reaches alarming level

Sindh government and then City government had twice launched campaign to impose ban on polythene bags, but failed to achieve desired results for various reasons. According to reports, about 364 metric tons of the total solid waste generated in the city every month is consisted of polythene bags.

Vehicular traffic alone contributes 70 percent of total environment pollution in major cities. About 35 percent of the vehicles are not fit for running on the roads as they discharge thick smoke with half-burnt fuel.

It is surprising that despite the orders of Sindh High Court against thick smoke emitting buses, no action has been taken yet.

More than 1.7 million vehicles are running on the roads in Karachi which is more than half of country's total vehicular population of 3.5 million. In addition, about 300 to 400 new vehicles are added every day in Karachi.

Among them, obsolete models of buses, taxis and rickshaw of 50s and 60s are the major contributors to the rising level of pollution in big cities.

According to the report, the roads in Karachi have the capacity of only 700 vehicles per hour, but 11,000 vehicles are running on the roads. Every car in Pakistan, irrespective of new and old, generates 25 percent carbon which is comparatively higher than USA.

City District Government Karachi was interested in introducing CNG buses in Karachi. But this project has not progressed beyond talks despite the fact that previous government had approved fund in its last days as a payment of customs duty on the import of CNG busses by the private sector.