SDA protests against poor sanitation, water supply situation

SUKKUR: Poor civic hygienic conditions in the city once again forced Sukkur Development Alliance (SDA) activists to take to the streets against the North Sindh Urban Services Corporation (NSUSC), which has failed to meet the expectations of the people, despite spending millions of rupees on sanitation and water supply.

Carrying banners and placards, the protesters, led by SDA chairperson Jawed Memon, took to the streets from Gharibabad and marched along the main road. They shouted slogans against the NSUSC and staged a sit-in at the Clock Tower Roundabout for an hour. The rally comprised activists of different political, religious and social parties, including the Pakistan Muslim League - Functional, Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam - Fazl, Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan, Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Sunni Tehreek among others.

Speaking on the occasion, Memon condemned the NSUSC for its poor performance and accused it of turning Sukkur into a garbage dump. “Sukkur is the third biggest city of Sindh and used to be a clean city back in the 1970s and 1980s but ever since the NSUSC took over the system of sanitation and water supply in 2011, the city is in a shambles and all the funds are being pocketed,” he claimed.

According to him, 20 sanitary staff are deployed in every union council but due to politically motivated appointments, the staff members are drawing their salaries while sitting at home. “It was expected that after the revival of the local government system, the civic conditions of the city will improve, but nothing has changed,” lamented Memon.

“We have been forced to take to the streets because of the poor civic conditions of the city.” He warned that if NSUSC does not improve its performance, the SDA will besiege their offices.

Sukkur Municipal Corporation mayor Arsalan Shaikh and deputy mayor Tariq Chohan were not available for comments.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 8^th, 2016.