Karachi:
The world environmental day is observed globally on June 5 with this year’s theme, “Beat Plastic Pollution”, which draws attention to the growing crisis of plastic waste. Environmental experts have warned that the consequences of uncontrolled pollution without immediate intervention can be disastrous for both human health and the ecosystem.
While talking to Express Pakinomist, Dr. Amir Alamgir, assistant professor of environmental studies at the University of Karachi, that plastic pollution has emerged as one of the most serious environmental challenges of recent decades. “Plastic products are cheap and widely available, encouraging excessive use without regard to their harmful effects,” he added.
Dr. Alamgir emphasized the health dangers that were at plastic use, especially in the summer. “Storage of drinking water in plastic bottles and cooling them can release microplastics that enter the human body,” he said. “These microscopic particles can damage the respiratory and digestive systems, blood vessels and other vital organs. Long-term exposure can even lead to deadly diseases such as cancer.”
He also warned against the widespread practice of waste incineration, especially plastic waste that releases toxic gases in the atmosphere. “These gases are absorbed into the lungs and bloodstream, which affects human health in ways still understood – but we know they pose serious risks,” he said.
Karachi, one of the most densely populated cities in the country, is at the center of Pakistan’s environmental crisis. The city generates an estimated 14,712 tonnes of fixed waste daily, of which only 50 percent are transported to landfills. The rest is discarded in open spaces, bodies of water and streets that pollute both air and water sources.
According to Dr. Alamgir is 60 percent of Karachi’s solid waste composed of plastics, much of which ends up in the Arabian Sea that jeopardizes it. “If the current trend continues, Karachi may face irreversible ecological damage within the next 15 years,” he warned.
