PMA demands enforcing environmental laws and compliance with SDGs

KARACHI: Dr. Abdul Ghafoor Shoro, General Secretary Pakistan Medical Association, Karachi has said that negligence of Sindh Environmental Protection Agency negligence has ruined the beauty of country’s beautiful lakes of sweet water, like Manchar Lake, Keenjhar Lake and Haleji Lake, turning into ‘dead lake’ because of the toxic water and fishermen communities are leading miserable life having no access to food, health and education. This was stated by him at a Press conference held at PMA head office here Tuesday.
He said that for the past thirty years Pakistan Medical Association has been organizing “Round the lake marathon” on every last Sunday of November. On Sunday the 29th November we walked and ran around the historical Haleji Lake was sad to notice that the lake has now become the victim of negligence. It’s deteriorating day by day ninety percent of trees have disappeared from the banks of lake. It’s disappointing to see that a big part of the lake is filled with unwanted ‘flora and fauna’ having no ecosystem is maintained.
Moreover, he said that unfortunately in our province of Sindh the government has failed to improve environment and create awareness regarding disease associated with climate disaster this environmental disorder is helping COVID-19 pandemic and now the people in rural Sind are becoming COVID-19 positive. All we learnt from our two days visit.
The situation is deteriorating day by day and there is a need to take urgent actions to protect our people from health-related issues and education as this is the only tool by which we can overcome the incidents like any pandemic in the modern society but unfortunately health and education are not the priorities of our government.
Dr. Nusrat Shah, Finance Secretary PMA Karachi said that the situation is deteriorating day by day and there is a need to take urgent actions to protect our people from health related issues and education as this is the only tool by which we can overcome the incidents like any pandemic in the modern society but un fortunately health and education are not the priorities of our government.
The starvation and the poor diet may result in weak Immune system that they easily attack by any Pandemic. The fishermen of the area are suffering from skin, liver, kidney and other deadly diseases due to usage of toxic water of the lake. Though the Sindh government announced to revive the beauty of the country’s sweet water lake but the situation remains unchanged.
While Dr. Ismail Memon, Joint Secretary PMA Karachi concluded the Press conference by his final remarks by emphasizing on Sustainable Development Goals compliance to up lift the lives of marginalized communities.