Garbage lies uncollected in Sheikhupura

Pollution in the area becomes a nightmare for the residents

SHEIKHUPURA:

Governments kept changing but the plight of Sheikhupura remains unchanged. Provincial and federal ministers hailing from the city have also failed to provide basic facilities.

Piles of garbage and trash have been accumulated at various places of Sheikhupura and on the main road of Lahore. Pollution in the area has become a nightmare for the residents. There is no proper place to dump the waste, prompting the people to burn the trash.

Undisposed of garbage and its unsafe burning is causing several diseases among the children and adults. The areas of Jinnah Park, Shah Colony, Rehmanpura, Ghang Road and Bhikhi Road are the worst-affected as these places also have a faulty sewage system. Stench from the sewers in the streets and markets continues to torment the people all day round. In addition, the standing water has also become a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

According to the residents, several complaints have been lodged with the Deputy Commissioner of Sheikhupura, Rana Shakeel Aslam, but the drainage and sanitation situation continues to worsen.

In 2018, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf candidate Mian Khalid Mehmood was elected MPA from Sheikupura. However, he could not ensure provision of even basic facilities to the people.

In the recent by-election in Sheikhupura, PTI candidate Khurram Shahzad Virk was elected as the MPA and was given the charge of provincial law minister. Mian Javed Latif and Rana Tanveer Hussain also belong to the city while an advisor to the chief minister of Punjab, Khurram Manwar, also belongs to Sheikhupura. Despite the strong representation of Sheikhupura in the federal and provincial governments, the condition of the city does not seem to be changing.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 7^th, 2022.