Quetta in a shambles, an upshot of poor sewerage system

Dirty water gathers at various places due to choked drainage

ISLAMABAD: The provincial capital of Balochistan is in shambles due to its poor sewerage system,  which is causing various problems to the citizens.

The residents of the city complain about the unpleasant smell of the sewage water as they express dismay over prevailing unhygienic sanitary conditions in Quetta.  They say garbage dumped into the drains on a daily basis has fully choked the already ineffective sewerage system.

Matiullah Kakar, a resident of Satellite Town, said dirty water is flowing on a number of streets and roads but the authorities have been neglecting the issue.

“During the tenure of the previous provincial government, a covered drain system was laid in the city but soon it became non-functional in several areas, mainly because it was initiated without technical planning,” Kakar said.

Criticising the incumbent government and the municipal corporation, he said they have taken no steps to resolve the issue or built a new sanitation and sewerage system.

The citizens express serious concerns over open and uncovered drains in which a number of people have fallen in the recent past. Multiple incidents have led to injuries and fatalities particularly among children.

In different locations across the provincial capital, the citizens also stepped up efforts to reopen the blocked sewerage lines on their own.

Sariab Road, Sabzal Road, Brewery Road, Spiny Road, Kasi Road, Mizan Chowk, Prince Road, Musa Colony, Satellite Town, Wahdat Colony and Nawan Killi were among the areas where sewage water had accumulated due to choking of the drainage system.

An official of the Balochistan government said the authorities have decided to take effective steps to improve the city’s sewerage system, adding, the government has also decided to come up with a technical scheme in the new Quetta Master Plan.

“Cleanliness drives are being launched in every part of the city on regular basis and the Quetta Municipal Corporation (QMC) is ensuring proper collection and disposal of garbage in the provincial capital from Sariab to Nawan Killi.

However, he said, the QMC lacks the capacity to collect the total waste produced per day by the city due to shortage of staff and equipment.

“The corporation is facing an acute shortage of sanitary workers and funds,” he said, adding that only 2,200 sanitary workers are carrying out cleanliness work in the city of four million people.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 18^th, 2019.