Citizens exhausted due to absence of awnings, trees

With summers peaking and temperature scales soaring, citywide unavailability of awnings and water coolers alongside an alarming dearth of trees has multiplied the dehydrating ramifications of the heat wave on Karachi’s populace.

Despite the forecast of the impending heat wave that is to hit the port city, the unwillingness of the government to invest in projects aimed at reducing the impact of the heat on citizens, like awning and water cooler installation and
tree plantation, has deeply exacerbated the repercussions of sun exposure for daily commuters and vendors, who resent having to stand hours at length under the blazing sun.

Fatima, a bachelor’s student at a private university, shared her plight as a daily commuter, who is exposed to direct sunlight at bus stops in the absence of canopies.

“I belong to a middle-class family, and I travel to my university by the bus. Due to the unavailability of awnings, trees, and water coolers, it has become unbearable for me to stand under the scorching heat at the bus stops,” sighed Fatima, who advised public transport users like her, to carry an iced water bottle and towel with them for some relief.

Unlike Fatima, who has to bear the blazing sun for the duration of her timed commute, Mahmood, a 55-year-old fruit vendor selling produce on the streets, has to tolerate the sweltering heat the entire day since the handful of tree plantations around him offer hardly any shade and the scattered canopies of bus stands are inaccessible to him.

According to Muhammad Toheed, an urban planner, the past few years have witnessed a proliferation of ill-planned
commercial and residential constructions in most areas of Karachi, which meant that the maintenance of bus stops and parks was neglected by the state authorities in their master plan.

“During the scorching heat wave, people frantically search for shade and cool water but unfortunately most of our bus stops neither have any canopies installed nor provide water coolers. Furthermore, due to widespread deforestation, parks are also disappearing from Karachi’s landscape, which implies that the average, low-income citizen has almost no place to turn to for cooling in the outdoors,” contested Toheed.

Asif Abbasi, a resident of the Jutland Lines, seconded Toheed’s judgement, when he shared his struggle as a low-income citizen, coping with the heat during phases of power outages. “Not everyone can afford a generator or solar powered air conditioner during long hours of load shedding. The greenery of parks can be refreshing for someone who is stuck sweating at home.

Unfortunately, these days very few parks are open for the public to take a sigh of relief,” complained Abbasi. Social workers like Muhammad Saad conjecture that the incompetence of disaster relief institutions in devising preventative policies and plans aimed at combating the heat wave, have greatly contributed to the grievances of the common people.

“What is the point of setting up temporary shelters and water coolers only when a heat wave
emergency is declared?,” remarked Saad, who further added, “had these facilities been installed beforehand, the heat wave emergency could have easily been evaded.”

Speaking to The Express Tribune on the issue, Waqar Mehdi, Advisor to chief minister assured, “we are aiming to install permanent awnings besides constructing new parks, in order to relieve the plight of the citizens during the impending heat wave in Karachi.