KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Friday sought comments from the city mayor, director general of Solid Waste Management Board (SSWMB) and others on a petition seeking imposition of complete ban on disposal, burning or smoldering of solid waste and garbage in Malir River or its banks at the Korangi Causeway.
The petition was filed by Yasir Khursid and 41 other residents of Air Force Officers Housing Society (AFOHS), Dadabhai Town and Mehmoodabad and Shehri-Citizen for a Better Environment and others.
The petitioners, represented by Advocate Zubair Ahmed Abro, challenged the dumping and disposal through open burning/smoldering of hazardous, hospital, industrial and municipal solid waste in Malir River at Korangi Causeway resulting in adverse environmental, security and health impacts on the residents of the area including the petitioners.
They submitted in the petition that 12,000 plus tons of solid waste was being produced every day in the city and despite such huge load, the city had no Garbage Transfer Stations (GTSs).
The petitioners stated that everyday 7000 plus tons solid waste was being dumped into Nullas (drains), which ended up in the sea or burnt openly. They said that open burning of garbage releases several hazardous pollutants their hydrochloric acid effects pollutants were multiple and severe.
The petitioners said that the impact and velocity of the dumping and open burning of the solid waste in Malir Nadi at Korangi Causeway could be judged from the Google images from year 2005 to 2017. They submitted that the acts of the respondents put lives of the petitioners and other residents in great danger of respiratory diseases especially children were most susceptible.
“According to Forum of International Respiratory Societies (“FIRC”) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, acute respiratory infections, tuberculosis (TB) and lung cancer are big five respiratory conditions and one of the major causes of above respiratory conditions is exposure to dust, fumes and air pollution.”
The petitioners said that most alarming fact is the effect of air pollution through open burning of Solid Waste on infants and children residing the area.
Citing chief secretary, city mayor, inspector general of police, SSWMB, Sindh Environmental Protection Agency, Cantonment Board Faisal, District Municipal Committee Korangi and DMC East as the respondents, the petitioner prayed to the court to declare that the open burning/smoldering of solid waste being carried out by any respondents was a permanent safety threat for the locality and was also hazardous for public health.
The court was further prayed to declare that the riverbed being used by the Respondents for open burning/smoldering of solid waste was patently illegal and amounts to playing with the lives of the petitioners and other residents of the area.
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