Beginning attempts at afforestation to preserve the coastal ecosystem, the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) has regained a large expanse of mangrove forests from squatters.
The expansion of mangrove forests—also known as timar forests—was impacted throughout time as encroachers started demolishing them for the construction of residential areas.
A KPT spokesman said that the maritime ecology depends critically on mangrove forests. Therefore, in line with the Prime Minister’s Task Force’s mission, the company has lately been clearing unlawful encroachments from these occupied areas and recovering them, planting timar trees over a significant area surrounding Mai Kolachi Road.
The KPT has also declared its will to have a lot of these trees planted throughout the plantation season. Still, the Sindh Forest Department has obligations to guard the mangrove forests and stop their cutting.
Eight different varieties of extensive mangrove forests dotted Karachi’s shoreline till 1980. But for the previous four decades, federal and provincial authorities have let two to three km of beachfront property be occupied for the building of costly residential and commercial projects. This is so even though mangroves cannot be destroyed and are protected forests governed both nationally and internationally.
Details gathered by the Express Tribune indicate that Karachi’s 75-kilometer-long coastline runs parallel to several residential areas and fisherman villages including Ibrahim Hydari, Rehri, Chashma Goth, Lath Basti, Machhar Colony, Hijrat Colony, Mai Kolachi, Korangi Creek, Hawkes Bay, Sandspit, Mubarak Village, Kaka Pir, Shams Pir, Keamari, Manora, Baba Bhit Island, Sultanabad, Clifton and Defence.
Regional planner Dr Syed Nawaz Al-Huda said that tamarisk trees, which were being removed from the areas close to Korangi Creek Industrial Park and Macchar Colony, had a part in lowering the city’s temperature and air pollution management.
