Heaps of garbage in Larkana

Letter July 25, 2019
So much so for the ‘Paris of Pakistan’

DOKRI, LARKANA: I regularly pass by Larkana’s main airport road, and see heaps of plastic set ablaze beside the road. The effects of this are detrimental on the surrounding environment. It is indeed sad to see Larkana, the heart and centre for the PPP, in this condition.

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had a dream to make Larkana the ‘Paris of Pakistan’. His founding party is the ruling party in the province. But all is in vain. The present situation in Larkana portrays a tattered image of the city that has been left to ruin.

The major concern should not just be the beautification of the city, but also environmental degradation. How to reverse the trend of environmental degradation? That is the question. We see protests all around the world in the wake of climate change. However, in Larkana, thick smog is released from the burning of plastic every day. This eventually moves towards the upper levels of the atmosphere adding to the damage. Furthermore, stray cattle and birds feed on the burnt remains. Thus they too are harmed. Hundreds of people visit the city and witness this degrading situation.

It is astonishing to see the authorities of the municipal and town committee acting as mere spectators. The worst tragedy is that top Sindh cabinet member and government officials pass through the dirty area to visit the tombs at Garhi Khuda Bakhsh on various occasions. But none of them pay attention to this serious issue. So much so for the ‘Paris of Pakistan’.

Mairaj Yousif Mirani

Published in The Express Tribune, July 25th, 2019.

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