The toxic waste piled at the gates of the church dishonours the sanctity of a place of worship.
KARACHI: The Our Lady of Fatima Church Karachi, located on Randle Road in Garden East, is an important heritage site of the city. Since its inauguration in 1953, it has not only served as a place of worship, but also as a community centre for a large number of Catholic Christians, who dwell in the vicinity of the church.
What is sad to see is that the locality surrounding the church, which is predominantly designated as residential, is today infested with overflowing sewers, and has rundown roads and extreme levels of encroachment. Congested traffic jams and makeshift rickshaw stands add to the misery for the residents. Over the years, residents have grown accustomed to the rapid commercialisation of the area, however, the conditions during the past six months have become so appalling that it is now impossible to endure them any further.
The sewerage drains, starting from Anklesaria Hospital running through the front of the church till the Mesquita Gardens gate, are constantly overflowing. The toxic waste piled at the gates of the church dishonours the sanctity of a place of worship and the sentiments of many of the community members. However, the most important point of concern is that the environment has become so unhygienic that people have started getting sick.
Numerous complaints have been sent to the town administration’s office only to fall on deaf ears. It is, therefore, a sincere appeal to whosoever is in charge to, at least, clear the gutter lines surrounding the church area.
Brian Keith D’Mello
Published in The Express Tribune, January 19th, 2014.
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