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KARACHI, Jun 03 (APP):The Institute of Environmental Studies of the University of Karachi arranged a seminar entitled ‘ending plastic pollution’ at the KU’s Chinese Teachers Memorial Auditorium on Tuesday.
Addressing the seminar, the KU Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Khalid Mahmood Iraqi warned that plastic pollution poses a severe threat not only to our environment but to life on Earth as a whole.
He urged that stronger regulations are essential to curb plastic pollution nationwide.
He emphasized the urgent need for policies that improve plastic waste management and recycling infrastructure.
He stressed that unless strict government regulations and penalties for violations are effectively enforced, Karachi—and Pakistan as a whole—cannot eliminate plastic usage.
The KU VC Professor Dr Khalid Iraqi advised that reducing access to plastic—by banning it in shops and markets—would be the most effective way to gradually minimize and eventually eliminate its use.
He lamented that, unlike other nations where legal repercussions serve as deterrents, Pakistan struggles with weak enforcement of environmental laws.
Highlighting the alarming global plastic consumption statistics, the Director KU’s IES Dr Muhammad Farrukh Nawaz, shared that approximately one million plastic bottles are purchased every minute worldwide, while an estimated five trillion disposable plastic bags are used annually.
He added that over 13 million tons of plastic waste end up in oceans every year, severely endangering marine life.
A senior faculty member of IES Professor Dr Moazzam Ali Khan echoed concerns about the lack of a recycling culture in Pakistan.
He explained that once plastic enters the environment, it becomes a permanent part of it. Unfortunately, rather than recycling, waste is frequently burned, further worsening pollution levels.
On this occasion, the Director General of the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency, Waqar Hussain Phulpoto, urged citizens to take collective responsibility for reducing plastic usage.
He stressed the importance of educational institutions, particularly universities, in raising awareness and fostering behavioral change among students.
The KU Dean of the Faculty of Science Professor Dr Musarrat Jahan Yusuf emphasized the dire need for alternatives to plastic that can help mitigate environmental, marine, and human health hazards associated with its use.
Another speaker, the president of the Society for Human Rights and Environmental Protection, Saeed Rajput, pointed out that Pakistan is grappling with serious environmental challenges.
He noted the concerning fact that Karachi has only one water treatment plant, which is non-functional, resulting in untreated toxic water being discharged into the sea.
He urged the public to recognize their role in environmental protection and to actively participate in awareness efforts.
The speakers collectively stressed that federal and provincial governments must implement sustainable waste management policies, raise awareness, and enforce strict regulations to combat the growing threat of plastic pollution.