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PESHAWAR, Nov 06 (APP):Every dawn, as the first rays of sunlight touch the rippling surface of River Kabul, 35-year-old Hussain Ali pedals his old bicycle toward the water, hoping to earn maximum capital through fish hunting.
For the past decade, he has earned his living as a fisherman, casting nets for Mahsher that is a prized local fish once thrived in abundance in River Kabul.
But these days, his nets come up mostly emptier than ever due to water pollution mostly caused by plastic and marble waste.
“The number of Mahsher fish has dropped sharply,” he says, his weathered hands clutching a fishing line. “Plastic waste, marble factories discharge, and illegal fishing are negatively impacting the river. Many of my fellow fishermen have already quit.”
Hussain’s life story mirrors that of countless others along the banks of the River Kabul. After losing his father to pancreatic cancer, he became the family’s sole breadwinner. His mother took heavy loans for medical treatment, and fishing became not just a job, but a lifeline. Now, that too is under threat, urging CM KP to intervene before Mahsher become extinct in KP rivers.
Environmental experts warned that unchecked plastic pollution has reached alarming levels in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s waterways, choking aquatic life and endangering wildlife and human health.
Dr. Khaista Gul, a senior analyst at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), said that plastic pollution particularly from non-biodegradable polythene bags poses one of the gravest ecological challenges of our time to fish farming.
“Polythene bags introduced in Pakistan in the 1960s have become a major environmental hazard,” he explained. “Millions are produced every year, and Pakistan generates nearly 30 million tons of solid waste annually about 9% of which is plastic.”
Peshawar alone hosts 18 registered plastic manufacturing units, along with numerous unregistered ones. Nationwide, around 6,000 factories produce plastic, with most based in Punjab (60%), followed by Sindh (30%), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (7%), and Balochistan (3%).
The problem extends far beyond Pakistan. According to the UN Environment Program (UNEP), approximately 500 billion plastic bags are used worldwide each year, half of them for single use.
Around 8 million tons of plastic waste flow into oceans, rivers, and canals annually — the equivalent of a garbage truck’s load every minute.
Only about 14% of these plastic bags are recycled, while the rest end up polluting soil and waterways, threatening marine life and food chains.
Dr. Khaista Gul highlighted the growing menace of microplastics minuscule fragments invisible to the naked eye that infiltrate water, air, and food.
“These particles can enter the human body, causing cancers, hormonal imbalances, obesity, and developmental problems in children,” he warned.
Animals suffer too from plastic pollution “Fish and birds often swallow plastic waste, mistaking it for food, which leads to blockages, starvation, and ultimatly death,” he added.
Black polythene bags, often reused without recycling, are particularly hazardous. “They leach toxic chemicals that can cause digestive issues, infections, and even premature births,” Dr. Khaista Gul reiterated.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has banned the use and sale of non-biodegradable plastic bags, launching crackdowns on violators in districts like Swat, Buner, Shangla, and Malakand. Several non-compliant factories in Dir Lower and the Hayatabad Industrial Estate, Peshawar, have been shut down in recent past.
EPA Director Afsar Khan said that companies found breaking the law face heavy fines or imprisonment.
“We are encouraging industries to adopt biodegradable alternatives and are exploring ways to convert plastic waste into energy,” he said, adding that a 5-megawatt waste-to-energy plant would cost around Rs 50 million.
He added that local councils and waste management firms are being tasked to engage communities in awareness campaigns about the dangers of plastic use.
Experts emphasize that combating plastic pollution requires a collective effort from government regulation to community participation.
“Media, LG representatives, politicians and educational institutions must play a vital role in promoting eco-friendly practices and discouraging single-use plastics,” said Dr. Khaista Gul.
For fishermen like Hussain Ali, the stakes are deeply personal. Standing by his small wooden boat, he gazes at the murky river that once sustained his family.
“I just want clean water and fish in the river again,” he says quietly. “If the pollution continues, our way of life will disappear.”
As the world grapples with the mounting crisis of plastic waste, the story of River Kabul serves as a sobering reminder that our planet’s survival depends on how urgently we act today.