Pollution in Rehri Goth threatens marine life, livelihoods

KARACHI: Unchecked disposal of industrial chemicals and livestock waste into the sea is driving Karachi’s coastal ecosystem towards a serious crisis, with damaging effects on marine life and the fishing community, according to the Coastal Media Centre.

In a statement, the organisation said the coastal belt of Rehri Goth remains heavily contaminated because untreated industrial effluent and sewage are continuing to enter the sea directly. It warned that the resulting pollution has pushed the fishing sector close to collapse.

The Coastal Media Centre said the contamination is affecting fish breeding and is also creating health hazards for fishermen working in the area. Thousands of gallons of untreated wastewater are being discharged into the sea every day, causing extensive harm to marine ecosystems and weakening the livelihoods of communities that depend on fishing.

Waste sources identified

According to the organisation’s spokesperson Kamal Shah, waste from Bhains Colony, including animal dung from cattle farms, is being released into coastal waters. He also said chemical discharge from textile and leather dyeing factories is being dumped into the sea without restraint.

The statement linked these discharges to worsening environmental conditions along the coast, particularly in and around Rehri Goth, where fishing has long been a source of income for local residents. The organisation said the continued inflow of untreated waste is not only degrading water quality but also undermining the coastal ecosystem on which marine species and fishing communities rely.

The Coastal Media Centre said the situation has reached an alarming stage as pollution continues unchecked. It maintained that the combination of sewage, industrial waste and livestock-related discharge is intensifying pressure on the marine environment and threatening the sustainability of fishing activity in the area.

The organisation’s statement underscored that the impact is being felt both in ecological and human terms, with marine habitats under strain and fishermen facing growing risks to their health and income. The ongoing contamination of coastal waters is causing widespread damage and deepening concerns over the future of the area’s fishing industry.

The warning from the Coastal Media Centre highlights mounting concern over pollution along Karachi’s coastline, particularly in Rehri Goth, where untreated waste entering the sea continues to affect both the environment and the people whose livelihoods depend on it.