Unresolved issues : Karachi’s federal residential colonies in dire straits

Owing to the government’s lack of attention, several federally administered residential colonies in Karachi have turned into a hotbed for municipal issues.

The recent monsoon cloudburst is reported to have inflicted heavy damage to these colonies, leaving behind heaps of garbage, damaged roads and overflowing sewage in various areas.

Numerous such residential colonies in the city, such as Martin Quarters, Clinton Quarters, Jail Quarters, Jamshed Quarters, Jahangir Road and others, fall under the jurisdiction of the Federal Ministry of Housing and Works.

Certain responsibilities are also delegated to the provincial government and local bodies through union councils, in order to effectively address the areas’ developmental needs.

However, given the ongoing tussle between the federal and the provincial governments, none of these bodies have shown any readiness to take permanent responsibility of these areas, leaving them to fend for themselves.

Speaking about various issues extant in Karachi’s federal residential colonies, former Martin Quarters UC nazim Kaleemul Haq said they did not fall under the administrative control of the Sindh government or the local bodies. Instead, he maintained, they were the responsibility of the Pakistan Public Works Department (PWD), which has remained largely inactive in these areas while its staff has been dodging the issue for years.

“The department does not have enough resources and the federal government has turned a blind eye to the whole situation. Elected members of the national and provincial assemblies, too, have forsaken the area, leaving no one to tend to the issues that stem here,” he stated.

Jamila Sohail, a resident of Martin Quarters, said that areas spanning from Teen Hatti to Gurumandir and surrounding villages have become a hotbed of municipal woes in recent years.

“The sewage system in these areas is in absolute shambles and the last torrential rains have been hard to recover from. Gutter lines are choked, and filth and water has been accumulating in every street. The stench from the rotting garbage is terrible and everybody living here is at a great risk of a disease outbreak,” she said, distressed.

As per other residents, Jahangir Road is another area in the same category, left in dire straits due to lack of upkeep and maintenance.

“Traffic jams are routine here due to damaged roads and the sanitation system is too worn out to function. Local bodies fail to pick up garbage for several days, which results in the accumulation of giant garbage heaps,” claimed a resident, demanding the two governments bring their focus back to solving the colonies’ issues.

Speaking in this regard, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and MPA Jamal Siddiqui said that solving the problems of federally administered colonies was the duty of the Pakistan PWD, which itself is a federal agency.

“The situation in these areas is worsening by the day, while the department responsible has been dodging its duties,” he said. “We on the other hand, are committed to solving all these problems with the cooperation of Sindh government and local bodies. Senior federal government officials have been notified in this regard while the prime minister too will be briefed about the areas’ issues,” he informed.

Addressing the claims against the department, Pak PWD Division Nine executive engineer Hira Nand said her department had been working according to the resources provided to it.

“In order to solve the sewage problems in Clinton Road and adjoining areas, a central sewage line is soon to be laid down and connected to the Lyari River with MNAs’ development funds. In addition, we are working closely with the district municipal corporation to clean these areas, which will greatly improve the overall situation in the residential colonies,” she told The Express Tribune.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 21^st, 2020