Section 144 imposed on Clifton beach to aid clean-up of medical waste

Section 144 has been imposed in the Clifton beach area of Karachi as the city government makes frantic efforts to clean up hazardous waste that has accumulated on the waterfront in the past two days. 

Hospital waste, especially several open-needle syringes, have washed up on the shore and pose a severe health hazard for the citizens visiting the beach in the rainy weather. 

Senior Superintendent of Police in South Karachi on Tuesday said that strict action would be taken against those responsible for dumping hazardous waste on the Sea View beach in Clifton. 

Earlier today, Shaniera Akram, the wife of former Pakistan cricket team captain Wasim Akram, took to Twitter to share the images from the beach in a bid to force authorities to clean-up the area.

"There is kilometres of medical waste including hundreds of open needle syringes, among other things, that has come in from the ocean. Clifton beach, at this moment, is extremely dangerous," she said. 

In a series of messages posted on Tuesday, Shaniera stressed that the media should broadcast the images of the garbage piled up on the beach, as it has a duty of care to protect the lives of the people of Karachi.

"I have walked on Clifton beach every day for the last four years and I have never been scared until today. This beach needs to be shut down now," Shaniera tweeted. 

Light rain is expected to continue in different areas of Karachi today as the city reels from the impact of a heavy downpour it witnessed on Monday.

The MET office has forecast light spells of rain in the provincial capital throughout the day, however, the city is unlikely to see another heavy spell of rain till later in the week.