KARACHI:
In a historic decision, the Sindh cabinet approved carving out a new, District Keamari out of Karachi’s District West. It comprises four sub-divisions: SITE, Baldia, Harbour, and Mauripur. The total population is 1,833,864. Rural regions of the city were previously administered by the district council Karachi, which is a separate body that administers development of the city’s rural regions. However, the formation of the new district means that the area is now under the Karachi Municipal Corporation.
Administration and management will be a challenge for the Sindh government as the rural areas of District Keamari are in a deplorable state; people do not have access to the most basic facilities. The Sindh government announced that it has reserved funds for the new district, which it must use effectively to alleviate the problems in the district. One of the many issues that the residents face is lack of healthcare facilities. The area is devoid of a proper healthcare system that can cater to emergency cases. Instead, people have to take patients to hospitals in other districts of Karachi. An absence of healthcare facilities endangers patients severely. The government must prioritise the creation of a hospital in the district. Moreover, they must also ensure that the hospital is well-equipped to assist and help patients. In addition, there is an absence of educational institutions in the district. Most students drop out after completing their intermediate studies due to the absence of universities.
Despite the availability of land in the Union Council of Lal Bakhar, it is not being used to establish a university. The government must utilise this land and allocate the funds necessary to establish at least one university in District Keamari in order to facilitate students.
Sarfraz Haroon
Karachi
Published in The Express Tribune, September 7th, 2021.
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