Residents of Karachi do not need to read about the city’s sanitation in a newspaper. The proof lies in street corners, open sewage drains and garbage dumps all over the city. However, some people seem to have had enough and have been watching the 15-day ‘Clean and Green City’ campaign’s every move. Their vigilance has added a new fervour to the campaign that started on June 16.
Civic authorities admitted to having received complaints from residents about sanitation by the dozen and municipal staff of areas such as Korangi and Jamshed Town have begun lifting litter from alleys and streets that otherwise went ignored.
The campaign is mostly managed by the City District Government Karachi’s (CDGK) Enterprise and Investment Promotion (E&IP) department.
E&IP district officer Hafiz Nawab Jamal told The Express Tribune that market places, shopping centres and bachat bazaars (savings markets) are spots that are normally neglected. The E&IP EDO, Dr Saifur Rehman, has issued directives to remove litter from these areas quickly. Jamal claimed that the E&IP will continue its initiative throughout the year.
Despite their efforts, there are still hordes of garbage tucked away in corners of the city. As one moves towards National Stadium, near the KDA Officers Housing Society they will chance upon an empty plot that houses debris and waste gathered from other parts of the city in trucks and dumpers.
It is a sensitive area, home to the Sindh Rangers director general. There is a Rangers check post on a nearby hill nearby but trucks and dumpers are free to roam the area. A resident told The Express Tribune that he called different NGOs and civic authorities asking them to address the problem, but his efforts were in vain.
In North Nazimabad there is a busy mini food street called Zaweela Street. The chain of open-air restaurants and ice cream shops is just a few feet away from a pile of steaming waste emitting a foul odour. A small distance away, North Nazimabad Block D residents have named a street between plots A-129 and B-133 Gandi Galli (Garbage Lane). People have pick their way through the filthy street on their way to pray at the Tayyaba Mosque. Residents of Model town in New Karachi, Malir and Garden East near Jamaat Khan also complain of similar heaps of waste spilling onto their roads.
A katchra kundi (dumpster) stands majestically in the centre of a playground in New Karachi. Door to door garbage collectors litter deposit their loads here and only a fraction is lifted by the town municipal administration.
“The town has only four vehicles that can lift 200 to 250 tons of litter daily,” said an official. “The weight of the litter generated daily goes into three digits.”
Meanwhile, in Gulberg Town waste from the police station, a park and a private school through blocks 10, 11 and 13 is dumped in a single garbage car.
Rafi Ahmed, president of an NGO, Friends of Anti-Narcotics of Sindh, told The Express Tribune that the authorities collect garbage every three to four days instead of daily. “Residents avoid lodging complaints because they fear that political groups might hurt them.”
Another pressing concern is the burning of garbage dumps near homes and schools. An environmentalist, Samiuz Zaman, told The Express Tribune of carcinogens that are emitted by burnt waste that pose a serious health concern.
“Those who live near sewage drains and inhale fumes from burning garbage are also being exposed to cancer,” he said. “The authorities should fund proper incineration equipment to use this garbage to generate power.”
Published in The Express Tribune, June 27th, 2011.
COMMENTS (4)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ