This is dangerous! Clifton Beach was covered with used needles and medical waste. Photo / @iamShaniera, Twitter
This is dangerous! Clifton Beach was covered with used needles and medical waste. Photo / @iamShaniera, Twitter
Those going for a morning walk on this idyllic beach were in for an unpleasant discovery on Tuesday morning.
A stretch of around five kilometres had be covered with used hypodermic syringes, test kits and vials of blood.
Clifton Beach on the shore of Karachi city, is one of Pakistan's favourite resorts. The golden sands are normally covered with locals and tourists.
One resident Shaniera Akram, wife to the Pakistani Cricketer Wasim Akram, was one of the first people to find and call out the "dangerous" waste.
"There is kilometres of medical waste including hundreds of open needle syringes amongst other things, that has come in from the ocean. Clifton beach, at this moment, is extremely dangerous and needs to be shut down," Mrs Akram said on Twitter, with a video of the waste she discovered.
In ten minutes she came across almost a hundred of the used syringes, and had no clue as to where they had come from. Talking to the BBC she said the "It was like a hospital had washed up on our beach."
The Clifton Beach is open to the public for recreation, with camel rides being a top draw for tourists. It is also home to some of the most desirable housing and beach villas in Karachi.
Camel rides are a top draw for tourists on Clifton Beach. Photo / Getty Images
Karachi is a city of 14 million residents, producing 18,000 tonnes of rubbish a day.
The issue of waste is nothing new in this region of Pakistan. Karachi has recently struggled with waste treatment, particularly with waste flowing into the Arabian sea. In April Kamal Hyderof Al Jazeera reported that slum sewerage had even claimed the life of local children. In a recent expose by the Qatari news network, it was found that 2 billion litres of untreated sewage flowed into the sea daily, just along the shore from the wealthy coastal suburb of Clifton Beach.
The beach has suffered from waste and in 2003 was the site of an oil slick from a passing cargo ship.
Medical Waste Disposal is a huge issue in Pakistan. It can result in diseases like HIV, Hepatitis and other blood borne diseases. GOP need to take serious steps in government sector and Private sector.#CliftonBeach#WeNeedSystems#MedicalWastepic.twitter.com/iNBWFGgoOI
However the medical waste was a shocking development.
Mohammad Moazzam Khan, who is a technical director for the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) said that this had "never happened before."
"More than 20 years ago, when awareness about environment was not widespread, it wasn't unusual to find hospital waste dumped on general waste dumping spots," he told the BBC.
"But then there were increasing controls, and hospital waste dumping got more organised."
Sindh Police were quick to respond saying that they had enacted "section 144" and that the area of beach was cordoned-off to the public.
Under Section 144, the Pakistan holding public meetings are banned for 'public safety'.
Akram was pleased that there was such a quick reaction to the shocking discovery, saying "I am glad that I got the response that I did. I hope this becomes something positive."
However, until the city updates its waste treatment those enjoying a walk on the beach will have more unpleasant, possibly dangerous discoveries.
