Karachi: Pasban Democratic Party Chairman Altaf Shakoor has expressed serious concern over the lack of parks and gardens in Karachi and the cutting of mangroves in the coastal areas and has demanded the government of Sindh and the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) to plant trees immediately. He said that the temperature is increasing due to indiscriminate cutting of trees in the city. Action should be taken against those responsible for cutting down thousands of trees in previous construction projects. Air pollution, lack of trees and encroachment of parks have turned Karachi into a concrete city. In violation of court orders, saplings are also being felled for fast-growing constructions. Thousands of trees under the BRT project have been felled. In a tree-deprived city like Karachi, the number of trees that are cut is not small. Cutting such a large number of trees will have the worst impact on the environment. Like Lahore, the Sindh government planted more trees in Karachi as well. The Sindh government
has made a law punishing the cutting of trees, but no practical steps have been taken to protect the trees. The government and administration should ban the cutting of trees. More and more trees should be planted to cope with the daily rising temperature of Karachi and avoid extreme heat. KMC, SBCA and other institutions are making Karachi a jungle of constructions by constructing buildings from place to place in return for heavy bribes. The intensity of heat is increasing in Karachi for the past years, which will increase with time, in such a situation, trees are the only source of shade for the citizens. Trees cool the air by shading surfaces like concrete and asphalt and help reduce heat. Trees produce oxygen, block airborne particles and reduce smog. Sindh Government had planned Urban Forestry in Karachi but no concrete efforts are seen in this regard yet.
According to Pasban Democratic Party, Altaf Shakoor has highlighted the pressing need for immediate action to address environmental concerns in Karachi. The lack of greenery and widespread deforestation, particularly in coastal areas, have resulted in a noticeable rise in temperature. Shakoor emphasized that urgent measures are required to combat air pollution and protect the environment in Karachi. He called for the enforcement of laws against tree cutting and criticized the administration for allowing unchecked urban development that has exacerbated the city’s environmental challenges.
The Sindh government’s previous initiative to implement Urban Forestry in Karachi remains largely unfulfilled, further aggravating the situation. Shakoor urged the authorities to take concrete steps to protect existing trees and to embark on a large-scale tree plantation drive to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change and urban heat. He stressed that trees are essential for providing shade, improving air quality, and reducing smog, which are crucial for the well-being of Karachi’s residents.