Islamabad by IMTISAL BUKHARI
Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs, Junaid Anwar Chaudhry pledges to implement preventive measures to stop the recurring post-rain cleanups at Karachi ports, aiming to prevent pollutants from entering the sea and harming marine ecosystems, fisheries, and coastal communities.
On the directives of the federal minister, post-rain cleanup drive has been launched to clear waste from berths, jetties and navigational channels at Karachi’s ports in an effort to prevent pollutants.
On the occasion, the minister said that Karachi and Qasim ports remain highly exposed to pollution every time heavy rains hit the city, as runoff from urban drains carries sewage, solid waste, oil residues and untreated industrial effluents into Karachi Harbour and the open sea.
He warned that the challenge is intensifying with climate change bringing more erratic and severe monsoon showers, stressing the need to move away from the cycle of post-rain cleanups and focus on preventive measures.
The minister described pollution control as his social responsibility, noting that rising levels of nitrogen dioxide and ground-level ozone are threatening both marine ecosystems and human health. These invisible gases, he said, continue to erode biodiversity, food security and public health.
He pointed out that much of the contamination lies beyond the ports’ jurisdiction, with Karachi’s drainage and sewerage systems discharging nearly 450 million gallons of sewage and 600 million gallons of industrial effluents into the sea daily. During heavy rains, this toxic mix intensifies, worsening the environmental and health crisis.
Junaid Chaudhry explained that Karachi’s summer sea breeze, blowing predominantly from the southwest towards the northeast along the Arabian Sea, contributes to heightened health risks from nitrogen dioxide and ozone. Floating plastics, oil and chemical residues, he added, also pose severe risks by contaminating seafood and polluting coastal waters. Microplastics and toxins can disrupt hormones and damage organs, while mercury and other heavy metals in fish have been linked to neurological and developmental disorders.
The minister recalled that environmental impacts are already visible, citing the mass die-off of around 100 tonnes mullet fish (locally known as “boi”) in several key waterways, including the Karachi Port Trust area, Manora Channel, and Chinna Creek in 2013, which was tied to toxic discharges from stormwater drains.
In 2013, the value of 100 tonnes of mullet fish (“boi”) was estimated between US$200,000 and US$260,000, with a central figure of about US$245,000 (≈PKR 24.9 million). This estimate, drawn from Pakistan’s seafood export price of roughly US$2.45/kg, matched local market trends of the time.
He said coastal zones stretching from Keamari to Manora have been devastated, forcing marine species farther offshore and shrinking fish catches, which has in turn hit the livelihoods of Karachi’s millions of fishing community members.
Emphasizing the need to control pollution at the source, Chaudhry said Karachi’s ports would gradually shift from reactive collection to preventive interception by setting up stormwater treatment plants designed to stop contaminated flows from entering the sea.
He explained that, at present, port authorities typically deploy barges, skimmer boats and marine crafts to collect floating plastics, garbage, oil sheens and chemical residues after rains.
He said international examples show that even relatively low-cost measures, such as installing litter booms at drain outfalls, introducing oil-water separators and undertaking systematic water quality monitoring, can significantly reduce pollution loads.
Looking ahead, the minister said long-term resilience will require large-scale interventions, including stormwater treatment facilities, constructed wetlands and closer cooperation with civic agencies such as the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency and Karachi Metropolitan Corporation to ensure sewage and storm drains are kept separate.
