Articles and letters may be edited for the purposes of clarity and space. They are published in good faith with a view to enlightening all the stakeholders. However, the contents of these writings may not necessarily match the views of the newspaper.
Polluted beach
Sea View is renowned for its scenic beach and recreational opportunities yet faces significant pollution challenges. These issues, such as untreated sewage, industrial waste, and littering adversely affect public health, water quality, and marine life. Despite these obstacles, Sea View remains popular, emphasizing the need for proactive measures to mitigate pollution.
Pollution in Sea View arises from diverse sources, including oil spills, plastic debris, and chemical pollutants, all posing threats to marine ecosystems. Cleanup campaigns and awareness initiatives aim to combat these problems, stressing the importance of preventive actions to protect coastal habitats.
Efforts to address pollution involve collaboration among residents, businesses, and government agencies, advocating for stricter regulations, waste reduction, and educational programs. However, challenges like resource constraints and coordination issues persist, highlighting the need for increased investment, better coordination, and heightened public awareness.
To ensure long-term sustainability, Sea View adopts a comprehensive approach, integrating advanced monitoring, community engagement, renewable energy adoption, and ecosystem restoration strategies. Effective regulation and enforcement measures require collaboration among government bodies, stakeholders, and the public.
Community involvement plays a crucial role in Sea View’s upkeep, with a focus on waste management through cleanup drives and awareness campaigns. Stakeholders participate in educational workshops and ecotourism activities to instil a sense of ownership and responsibility. These efforts aim to preserve Sea View’s natural beauty as a symbol of Karachi’s history and identity for future generations.
M ROHAAN SHEIKH
Karachi
Construction of Red Line BRTS
Karachi has been struggling with severe traffic congestion for a long time. Although the project launched by government of the Red Line Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) in the city which covers a distance of 26.6km and a major part lies at one of the busiest routes of Karachi, “The University Road” will be directly benefiting 1.5 million people by saving transportation costs, improving air quality, and reducing carbon emissions and making Karachi a safer and more inclusive city.
However, there are certain impediments that residents face due to construction of the Red Line bus service. The main issues are traffic congestion, disruption of daily activities, dust and debris. Traffic congestion is the main issue that arises because, as we know, Red Line buses are built larger than normal, and they take up a greater amount of space on the road networks, the route for red line bus on University Road was placed between double roads, narrowing regular traffic lanes. Hence, this change has led to road closures, diversions, and lane restrictions causing increased traffic congestion for a longer time, due to which students and other workers reach their destinations late.Moreover, pollution and dust have become serious issues. As said earlier, due to inefficient route planning and traffic congestion the cars and buses spend more time on the road than necessary, leading to higher fuel consumption, which emits gas and other pollutants. To combat these challenges, the government should take recommendations to minimize the negative effects of the Red Line. They should regularly monitor air quality and implement dust suppression measures. Most importantly, the government has to engage competent workers to finish the BRT project as quickly as possible so that traffic on university roads can flow freely and without interruption. In addition, until the project is finished, people should take public transportation to reduce traffic and disorder on the roads. To sum up, it is imperative that we as citizens keep ourselves informed about the project’s progress and its implications for our daily lives. We must also attempt to improve our surroundings as well.
ZAHRAH SHAHID
Karachi
Educational challenges and solutions
The success of nation is tied to the strength of its education system, but Pakistan’s education sector is facing various challenges. Pakistan has one of the world lowest literacy rates with just around 58 percent of adult able to read and write. It is an alarming situation that with an estimated 26.2 million children are out of school due to several reasons.
Pakistan confronts various hurdles in delivering excellent education to its population especially to children. Girls are being discriminated in Pakistan with significant lower enrolment and higher drop rate than boys. This is because of cultural norms that favour boys over girls. Early marriage and lack of security concerns are main obstacles for getting education of girls especially in the rural areas of the country. The country’s education sector is confronting due to the lack of proper resources. According to UNICEF, the country has one of lowest education expenditure with only 1.7 percent of GDP that was allocated in 2023. Due to poor governance, inadequate facilities and obsolete curricula are major contributors to weakening education system.
Pakistan needs to address these major issues by taking strict measurement to strengthening its education system. Expanding technology can be helpful with the extension of internet connectivity and mobile devices as it is a wonderful option for those students who are unable to attend due social constraint. There is serious need Pakistani government should increase budget
on education sector. MUHAMMAD SADDIQUE
Islamabad
