KARACHI:
For the last several months, I have been lodging complaints about the multitude of issues facing Soldier Bazar. Yet none of the concerned departments has visited the area to take note of the issues or resolve them. The uncovered drains are already a safety hazard for the residents and now they are overflowing further polluting the area. It has become difficult for residents to go to the shops nearby due to overflowing drains.
There are no garbage disposal bins in the area nor a system for garbage collection. Resultantly, most residents dispose of the garbage at vacant plots or footpaths. The absence of road cleaners has further aggravated the issue. The entire neighbourhood reeks of sewage and waste. The conditions are extremely unhygienic giving rise to diseases.
In addition, some of the main roads were dug out last year to install new drainage lines before the monsoon season. Many of these roads are still lying unrepaired and have deteriorated in shape since then. Poor road conditions have become a source of daily traffic bottlenecks and accidents. Pedestrians and motorcyclists are particularly faced with higher risks. The criminal negligence of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, Karachi Water and Sewerage Board, and Sindh Solid Waste Management is alarming. I request the concerned departments to visit the area themselves to take a look at our deplorable living conditions. These issues should be addressed on a priority basis.
Ashfaq Sharif
Karachi
Published in The Express Tribune, March 3rd, 2023.
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