Search continues for body of minor who fell in drain
Nine-year-old fell in the drain in Karachi’s Swati Mohalla on Saturday
PHOTO: EXPRESS
KARACHI:
The body of a child who fell in an open sewerage drain in Swati Mohalla has not been recovered even after the passage of over 24 hours. In the absence of any official action, locals made ad hoc attempts to recover the child but they remained unsuccessful. Several hours later, after protests and noise by the locals, the municipal institutions finally took notice of the incident and heavy machinery was brought on Sunday to recover the child but to no avail.
The nine-year-old child, identified as Muhammad Arif son of Ghulam Rasool, fell into the drain on Saturday morning. Speaking to The Express Tribune, Rasool said that Arif was the eldest of five siblings and had gone out to walk the goats. His siblings had accompanied him, he said, adding that Arif had been standing on a pipeline near the nullah when he lost his balance and fell in the drain. The grief-stricken father said that several hours passed before the authorities made any efforts to recover his child.
Aggrieved residents
The locals also maintained that no official rescue efforts were made till several hours after the incident. They protested near Gul Ahmed Chowrangi and shouted slogans to call the attention of the authorities and expressed their disappointment at the lax rescue efforts when Malir District Municipal Corporation (DMC) Chairperson Jan Muhammad Baloch reached the site and then went back.
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According to the locals, Baloch had come only to take pictures. They were of the opinion that the chairperson should have brought the machinery at that time if he actually wished to do something. The protesters dispersed once the municipal bodies eventually took notice and the rescue efforts were initiated.
The residents of the area said that other children had also met their deaths in the same drain and most of the bodies were never recovered. They further complained that poisonous water from Karachi’s industrial zone also flows into this drain thus causing it to fill up.
Search operation
The rescue operation by the municipal organisations began much later in the day on Saturday and stopped at nightfall. An excavator was arranged and the operation resumed on Sunday but the efforts remained unsuccessful and the child has not been recovered as yet.
Politicking
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MPA Haleem Adil Sheikh took this incident as an opportunity to take jibes at the provincial government. “The Sindh government is sleeping. It wakes up only when their [Sindh government’s] leaders are distressed,” he said.
“It is our duty to reach the scene in such cases,” said the MPA, adding that all relevant representatives should have arrived at the scene. Not only is the sewerage water from the residential area disposed in this nulla but water from Landhi’s industrial area also collects in this drain, said Sheikh. He questioned as to where the welfare funds for areas near the industries go. The MPA requested the Pakistan Navy to send their divers to recover the body of the diseased child.
The body of a child who fell in an open sewerage drain in Swati Mohalla has not been recovered even after the passage of over 24 hours. In the absence of any official action, locals made ad hoc attempts to recover the child but they remained unsuccessful. Several hours later, after protests and noise by the locals, the municipal institutions finally took notice of the incident and heavy machinery was brought on Sunday to recover the child but to no avail.
The nine-year-old child, identified as Muhammad Arif son of Ghulam Rasool, fell into the drain on Saturday morning. Speaking to The Express Tribune, Rasool said that Arif was the eldest of five siblings and had gone out to walk the goats. His siblings had accompanied him, he said, adding that Arif had been standing on a pipeline near the nullah when he lost his balance and fell in the drain. The grief-stricken father said that several hours passed before the authorities made any efforts to recover his child.
Aggrieved residents
The locals also maintained that no official rescue efforts were made till several hours after the incident. They protested near Gul Ahmed Chowrangi and shouted slogans to call the attention of the authorities and expressed their disappointment at the lax rescue efforts when Malir District Municipal Corporation (DMC) Chairperson Jan Muhammad Baloch reached the site and then went back.
Abducted doctor’s body recovered from drain
According to the locals, Baloch had come only to take pictures. They were of the opinion that the chairperson should have brought the machinery at that time if he actually wished to do something. The protesters dispersed once the municipal bodies eventually took notice and the rescue efforts were initiated.
The residents of the area said that other children had also met their deaths in the same drain and most of the bodies were never recovered. They further complained that poisonous water from Karachi’s industrial zone also flows into this drain thus causing it to fill up.
Search operation
The rescue operation by the municipal organisations began much later in the day on Saturday and stopped at nightfall. An excavator was arranged and the operation resumed on Sunday but the efforts remained unsuccessful and the child has not been recovered as yet.
Politicking
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MPA Haleem Adil Sheikh took this incident as an opportunity to take jibes at the provincial government. “The Sindh government is sleeping. It wakes up only when their [Sindh government’s] leaders are distressed,” he said.
“It is our duty to reach the scene in such cases,” said the MPA, adding that all relevant representatives should have arrived at the scene. Not only is the sewerage water from the residential area disposed in this nulla but water from Landhi’s industrial area also collects in this drain, said Sheikh. He questioned as to where the welfare funds for areas near the industries go. The MPA requested the Pakistan Navy to send their divers to recover the body of the diseased child.