The unsung heroes of Karachi

It is the unsung heroes who somehow manage to save citizens from disaster every time

KARACHI: Not all heroes wear capes. For Karachi - one of the largest cities in the world and unfortunately, one of the most neglected - it is the unsung heroes who somehow manage to save it from disaster every time. Some of them wear uniforms, other white coats and yet others go about saving lives in ordinary clothes.

Over the three days of Eidul Azha, while the rains wreaked havoc in the port city and citizens found it difficult to fulfill their religious obligation of sacrifice, some sacrificed their family time to stay on the roads and serve the city, saving it from impending doom.

There was the traffic police officer, who stayed on the road to guide traffic while it was raining cats and dogs. The sanitary worker, who waded through knee-deep water to collect offal so it wouldn't rot and mix with the rainwater that had accumulated in different parts of the city. The doctors and paramedical staff, who were on duty throughout the holidays, ensuring the smooth functioning of medical services.



The rescue worker, who whizzed through streets and inundated alleys to reach citizens in their hour of need. And then there were countless others, whose services are neither acknowledged nor appreciated. Yet they go on, saving lives and serving strangers for the sake of humanity.



On duty

Ahmed, a traffic police constable, is one of the public servants who celebrated Eidul Azha on the road, facilitating commuters to enjoy holidays, during the rains and on Independence Day. Standing at the signal of Kala Pul, he flashed a big smile to passersby.

"I love my job," he said. "There is life everywhere and it's like I am with my own brothers and sisters."

Ahmed joined the traffic police department in 2017 at the age of just 22 and aspires to become a sub-inspector. "Being part of the Sindh police is a proud achievement for me and my family." For his parents' pride, he has to sacrifice all his public holidays, including Eid. "My mother wanted me to celebrate Eid with her but I am enjoying the moment with my brothers and sisters on the road," he chuckled.

"We are trained to serve the public and trained to facilitate travellers. There is no fear of anything but Allah." Ahmed proudly touched his white dress and said he loves to have the uniform.

A little up the road, Sabir, along with his four colleagues, spent all three days of Eid on the roads, collecting animal waste. He has been collecting offal for the last 27 years. "People hardly respect someone who cleans their streets and roads," he said. "But it is my job to collect offal from the streets and clean them."

Supervising his four colleagues on a Suzuki pickup provided by the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board (SSWMB), Sabir made the rounds in Manzoor Colony and Akhtar Colony. The sanitary workers even collected other types of garbage, besides offal. "We don't mind. It's Eid and we understand the importance of cleanliness," he smiled.

"Our Eid is with the public, not with our families," said a young police constable, Arsalan deployed near Gora Qabristan. "We assisted citizens during the heavy rains," he said, adding that they had helped stranded families and ensured security for the last five days. "The city is safe. People are happy and so are we."

"Eid means happiness and we are happy if our customers are happy," said an employee of the K-Electric, who was seated in a stationary vehicle near Iqra University. "We are on emergency duty for the last five days," he added. The power supply company's employee said that his relatives usually taunt him. "They laugh at me and say we don't have Eids."



Rain emergency

The city received over 200mm of rain in less than 24 hours but the staff of municipal corporations and other civic agencies managed to drain the rainwater from most areas within a few hours. "I have been out working for the last 10 hours," said Sadiq, an employee of South District Municipal Corporation. "We remain on the roads to ensure public safety," he said, while draining the rainwater.

"There were over 1.6 million animals' offal, but we cleaned them smoothly," said Syed Zulfiqar Shah, one of the supervisors of municipal workers. "We accomplished our task and are happy that the public will hardly have any complaint against us."

Hundreds of employees of Sindh Police, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, District Municipal Corporations, and other civic bodies actively supported residents across the city. Most government departments cancelled leave of their staff, asking them to come into work over the Eid holidays in view of the rains.



Those police constables and employees of the KMC and DMCs who usually work day and night during emergencies are hardly acknowledged by the general public. "One in a thousand appreciate and respect us," said Sabir. "We are trained to accommodate people in difficult times."

Agreeing with Sabir, Ahmed said that sometimes, commuters abuse traffic police personnel. "We have to adjust to the harsh attitude of people. There is no other way. I hope one day people will respect us," he added. "I hate it when people say that the traffic police are corrupt without realising our constraints and that not everyone is the same." 

Published in The Express Tribune, August 15^th, 2019.