The Highs and Lows of Karachi University’s Environment

The environment has become a hot topic in the town since Lahore’s smog has had a major

influence on all of us. It has shifted our focus to the environment. Better late than never, we

have finally started talking about it. We seem to give little to no importance to the environment that we live in. But now, it is time that we give proper attention to this matter.

Karachi University, being the largest educational institution in Pakistan, has become an integral part of the students studying in it. The university kind of feels like a second home as more than half of the day is spent working here. Hence, the university being their second home, they should own up to it and take responsibility.

The students of Karachi university should shed light on the environment of the university. It has become a necessity to make the faculty and students aware of the positive and negative effects of it so they can also help in coming up with solutions and recommendations that cater to the issues of the university.

One of the main issues in Karachi University is littering. Plastic bottles, wrappers, tissues, and all kinds of litter are seen on the campus. Though there are dustbins, many of them do not use them. Instead, they throw their trash anywhere they wish within the university.

A survey was conducted to explore and understand the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of the students of Karachi University regarding its environmental issues. The survey got 49 responses with 91.8% of them being students. By conducting this survey, we found out that 39.6% of students see litter around the campus and yet 79.2% of them agree on having enough waste disposal bins around the university. Out of all that, only 41.7% of students accepted that they use dustbins for waste disposal.

Through the survey, we got to know that students are, in some ways or another, responsible for the uncleanliness around the premises of Karachi university. We should not only grumble about the inefficacy of the authorities or governing bodies but we should, too, pull up our socks as well and take some precautions on our part. As a result, the absence of accountability and responsibility has a disastrous implication for the environment. From this, it is now the responsibility of the students to make sure that they’re putting the waste inside the dustbins and not contributing to polluting the environment.

Sir Amir Alamgir, senior professor of the Environmental Science department, said, “Students should act responsibly and treat the university like their own home.”

Another gigantic environmental issue in the university is solid waste management, which in turn leads to contaminating the air, soil and water. According to the International Trade Administration, Karachi generates 16,500 tons of solid waste per day. Karachi university contributes to this number as there’s no suitable disposal of solid waste in the university. There needs to be an appropriate way to manage waste in the university. Mixing waste types like paper waste, organic waste, metal waste, and plastic waste altogether can be detrimental to the environment. Due to the mix of waste, the recyclable materials cannot be used. Mixed waste also attracts insects.

The solid waste that is collected from different canteens and departments should be separated and labeled as well. We can also manage solid waste by composting it. Composting, therefore, refers to the biodegradable method of recycling some waste products like leaves or food into something as fertilizer for soil which could benefit the earth.

Vehicular emissions are a great source of polluting the air, which is another environmental issue faced at Karachi university. With thousands of students, faculty members, and residents in the university, there are also many vehicles being driven around, producing greenhouse gasses affecting the air quality. Miss Suraiya Jabeen, Assistant professor at the Environmental Science department, said, “Toxic gasses like greenhouse gasses, methane gas, carbon dioxide are emitted from vehicles, which is a source of air pollution posing significant threats not only to our environment but also to our respiratory health.”

The emissions from the vehicles can be avoided through certain ways, like using public transport and cycling. Miss Jabeen emphasized the use of bicycles; she said, “In other countries, cycling is promoted, which we don’t see in Pakistan. You don’t get to see many people cycling over here. It is always important to remember that each of these small attempts can be useful when putting into making a better improvement for a bigger and better cause.”

Amidst these problems, Karachi University contributes a lot to making the environment better. There’s a lot of greenery that you could see in the entire university. There are many trees, some of them very old. The botanic garden in Karachi university is renowned for the collection of living plants it has. The vegetation also assists in eliminating the dirty surrounding air as well as giving that natural feel.

Many departments of Karachi University contribute to the environment by initiating plant drives. These initiatives create awareness among the students, educate them regarding the environment, and tell them what part they can play in making it better.

There happens to be a lot of biodiversity in Karachi university. There are all kinds of species to be found within the premises of Karachi University with various types of plants, animals, and microorganisms. Reptiles, insects, and different kinds of birds are all seen in the university. Biodiversity also helps in a healthy and pleasant environment.

We should own up to our university by taking care of its environment. We should make notable efforts so that the next generations can also enjoy the environment more. Hence, the better the environment, the better would be our lives.