Sara Riaz
3 min readDec 25, 2020

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Littering the Pak Watan

PROBLEM STATEMENT: LACK OF AWARENESS OF IMPORTANCE OF CLEANLINESS

Ever wondered what exactly does the word Pak, which comes in Pakistan, means. It means Pure in Persian signifying Pakistan means the land of pure. Moreover, Pak refers to holiness and cleanliness. But is our surroundings clean? Take a moment to think about it.

I have OCD, Obsessive-compulsive disorder. I always keep my room neat and tidy. Likewise, I do not like garbage on Pakistani streets as well. In my opinion environmental issues are also social issues. If our environment is safe everyone will be benefitted.

With time, Pakistan is experiencing exponential growth in population resulting in rapid urbanization. Not only Pakistan lacks basic infrastructure also it has poor garbage disposal system. Social and environmental issues are discussed very little or we can say, are almost neglected at government level in Pakistan. All these factors are responsible for repleting Pakistani streets with litter.

All Pakistani citizen whether they are rich or poor, educated or uneducated, religious or liberal, don’t hesitate to throw trash out on streets. The piles of garbage on the streets are the hurdle for all commuters, including both pedestrians and motorcyclist as well.

Environmental Pollution is not only a problem for us. Because polluted water is adversely affecting sea birds, turtles and other species as well, marine life is under threat too in Pakistan.

The picture above shows the trash left by tourist at Lake Saiful Muluk.

This picture clearly shows that people only care to drive on smooth roads caring less for the surroundings.

Heaps of Garbage
Heaps of Garbage in Residential Area

I think this issue is due to lack of awareness. People are unaware of the fact that if we go on littering our future generation might suffer beyond our imagination.

Although we all know the Government policies to stop litter is lacking, but we all can slow this process of littering our streets for the sake of preserving the scenic beauty of this country. If we all put individual efforts. Dispose of the garbage in garbage cans. Use less plastic bags instead go for bags made of fabric. Use biodegradable products wherever it is possible.

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