Garbage piles up in Karachi's districts

Following end of tenure for LG reps, waste disposal efforts appear to have halted

KARACHI:

The district administration in the city appears to have hit a new low following the end of the local body representatives' tenure this week, as cleaning and garbage collection in various areas reportedly came to a standstill in the absence of leadership.

In FC Area, Sharifabad, Gharibabad, Liaquatabad and other surrounding areas, garbage collection appears to have been suspended for days.

The stacks of waste piling up cause hindrances for passersby, commuters and residents alike, while the foul stench of rotting garbage on the streets has made breathing an inconvenience, if not outright difficult.

In Karimabad, for instance, solid waste has not been cleared from the garbage pickup point in front of Government Sirajuddaula College for the past week. Wastage from Karimabad, FC Area, Sharifabad and Moosa Colony is dumped at this point. The Sindh Solid Waste Management Board (SSWMB) then typically collects the litter and shifts it to the relevant dumping point or landfill site.

However, area residents claimed that the relevant agencies had not been picking the garbage and disposing of it for the past several days.

Several key facilities are located in these areas, where the odour emitting from the accumulated garbage pervades the air.

The situation is creating the ideal conditions for various diseases, complain residents, many of whom have reported respiratory problems as a result.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 6^th, 2020.