ludUO

262
Wetlands of International Importance which is a list of wetlands known for
their ecological, economic, scientific, cultural and recreational functions.
According to World Wide Fund (WWF) – Pakistan, this project was expected
to destroy 50% of the country’s mangrove cover. Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum
(PFF) also opposed the mega project in an area covered by mangrove forests.
The PFF highlighted that the project went against the Sindh government’s
own assessment of threats to the mangroves in the very place where the city
was to be built. The provincial government had issued a notification in November
2010, declaring mangrove forests of Thatta and Karachi as “protected forests”.
Home to countless species of birds and animals, the mangroves were also a
source of income and food for the communities living around them.
Occupations such as marine fishery, boat driving, livestock herding and crop
cultivation served as primary sources of income for these coastal communities.
Removal of the mangroves was also expected to make the coastal communities
more vulnerable in the event of natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods
and tsunamis.
Another project which faced heavy criticism in 2012 was the Sinjhoro
project of Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) in Sanghar
district of Sindh. The Environment Protection Agency (EPA) stressed that
while oil and gas exploration was crucial to address the country’s energy
crisis, the environmental impact of such a project could not be ignored. The
oil exploration project was spread over 102 acres of land in close proximity of
18 villages, farmland, water channels, wetlands, lakes and forest. The EPA
rejected an impact assessment report by the OGDCL. EPA officials stated in
March at a public hearing on the Sinjhoro exploration that the OGDCL did not
offer information about the population, precise socio-economic impact, and
what measures were envisaged for rehabilitating the villagers if they were
forced to leave. The EPA also said that the report did not adequately address
the issues of health, education, agriculture and water and even though it claimed
that environment officials had been consulted they were not. The EPA officials
noted that consultation had also not been held with the departments of
agriculture, fisheries, wildlife, forests and archaeology.
2012 marked the 10th anniversary of the launch of the yet incomplete
Lyari Expressway project in Karachi. At the time of the launch, the planners of
the project had announced that the primary objectives were to reduce traffic
congestion in the city and improve the environment for people living in the
nearby slums. Contrary to the intended objectives, the project led to the
displacement of thousands of slum residents and did not lead to a positive
change in the environmental conditions in the area. In fact, media reports
indicated that the project had led to air pollution on account of the use of poorquality
construction materials. The need for conducting an Environmental
Impact Assessment (EIA), which evaluates environmental consequences of
an activity prior to its execution, was ignored by the decision makers. Proposals
to build Malir Expressway in Karachi with the same aim were criticsied and
Environment