Pattoki localities flooded with sewage
A boy wades through a flooded street with submerged vehicles during the monsoon rain, as the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, in Karachi, Pakistan August 25, 2020. REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro
Negligence of the Pattoki municipal authorities has led to dirty water polling in streets all over the city.
According to a local resident, there is a stench in the whole city and overflowing water from sewers has spread into the streets and markets.
Several places in the city present the image of garbage dumps due to poor arrangements of sanita-tion.
An official of the Pattoki tehsil administration said the motors of the sewerage system had mal-functioned, due to which the drains had been choked. He said the administration was taking steps to improve the situation regarding sanitation across the city.
However, a citizen, Farooq Ali, said the overflowing sewage had entered the streets and markets as well as houses due to lack of timely cleaning of the sewerage lines.
He said the Mega Road, Hilla Road, various squares and streets in the Old Market, Basti Sohan Ki, Abbas Park and other commercial areas were in a bad condition. He said it had become impossible for citizens to walk on the Mega Road and Hilla Road.
Another resident, Haji Muhammad Aslam, said the Hilla Road, which had been constructed at a cost of millions of rupees, had fallen into disrepair due to lack of sewerage system. The same is true in the Old Market area.
He said there was a fear of an outbreak of epidemic diseases due to contaminated water pooling in the city and the situation had worsened after the recent rain.
He said several bazaars in the densely populated areas of the city appeared like ponds.
A resident of an affected locality, Muhammad Afzal, said delay in removal of garbage from several areas had aggravated the problem.
When it rains, the garbage flows in the water and enters hous-es in low-lying areas.
He said several children and elderly people had contracted various diseases because of the un-healthy environment.
A local traders’ organisation’s president, Rana Mumtaz Khan, said the local administration had been informed several times about the problem but nothing had been done to address it.
He said the Kasur district administration should take immediate measures to streamline the sanita-tion and sewerage system.