A heap of garbage: While DMC South sleeps, Clifton Block 5 weeps

Parks in vicinity marred by garbage dumping and encroachments

KARACHI: In the concrete jungle of Karachi, rarely does one stumble upon islands of greenery. They are like oases. One such oasis can be found in Clifton Block 5, in the neighbourhood that lies between the British Consulate and the junior section of the Karachi Grammar School.

This vast island of greenery is a conglomerate of parks that stand adjacent to one another. The five parks in this residential area include Aunty Park, Shaheed Hosh Muhammad Sheedi Park, Moin Akhtar Park, Bagh-e-Rustom and Family Park.

Yet all is not well in this mini urban paradise. Those who frequent these parks will notice the heap of garbage outside the eastern boundary of Aunty Park as well as the southern boundary of Shaheed Hosh Mohammad Sheedi Park. The two spots are designated dumping grounds and collection points of garbage in the neighbourhood. But 'collection' rarely occurs. Bagh-e-Rustom, on the other hand, not only has litter, but encroachments as well.

Clifton Block 5 falls under the jurisdiction of District Municipal Corporation (DMC) South. DMC South chairman Malik Muhammad Fayyaz said, "Both Aunty Park and Shaheed Hosh Mohommad Sheedi Park happen to be the garbage collection points for this particular neighbourhood. There is, generally, a vast backlog of garbage collection in many other areas, such as Block 2 and Jehangir Park in Saddar. We are currently in the process of clearing these areas up." Taking account of the situation in Block 5, he said that he will visit the area and ensure that it is cleared up within two days. What is needed, however, is a regular system of collection.

The chairman went on to explain, "On October 24, 2016, the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board signed an agreement with a Chinese company, under which the job of garbage collection has been outsourced to the latter. This agreement will come into effect in three to four months. The Chinese company will bring in its new machinery for garbage collection. The employees of the sanitation department of DMC South will remain the same - the only change will be that they will be supervised by the Chinese company. It will help if people don't litter and use bins to throw their trash."

Amber Alibhai, the general secretary of non-governmental organisation Shehri - Citizens for a Better Environment said, "It takes two to tango. Public servants as well citizens have to work in tandem and lessen the load. The citizens, who are the actual owners of this godforsaken city, should play their part and throw their garbage responsibly as well as recycle." Despite the generous bestowment of appointments to an already overstaffed Sindh cabinet, it would appear that there isn't a single person willing to take the initiative of ensuring that basic functions such as garbage collection are enacted.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 13^th, 2016.