By our correspondent
KARACHI: In a significant move to combat environmental degradation, the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) has announced a comprehensive strategy to tackle marine pollution along Karachi’s coastal belt. This includes the formation of a dedicated “Marine Pollution Control Cell” to safeguard marine life and coastal habitats from the growing threat of untreated industrial and domestic waste discharge.
The announcement was made by SEPA’s newly appointed director general, Waqar Hussain Phulpoto, during a roundtable on “Environmental Governance” hosted by the National Forum for Environment and Health (NFEH) at a local hotel. Phulpoto highlighted the growing severity of marine pollution, attributing it to unchecked effluent discharge from industrial zones, residential areas, and port operations. He stated that the proposed control cell will include expert staff capable of addressing coastal degradation swiftly and effectively.
He also acknowledged the complexities involved, noting that marine pollution is a multi-stakeholder issue, with overlapping jurisdictions of civic, municipal, and land-owning bodies often hindering SEPA’s enforcement efforts. Despite these challenges, he said SEPA has launched action against polluting entities and is upgrading its technical resources, especially for monitoring urban air quality.
