Residents choke as SSWMB turns open plot into dumping site in Karachi

Persistent neglect by the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board (SSWMB) has left residents of Liaquatabad's FC Area struggling with foul smell, choking smoke and health hazards after an open plot near the Government Lal Girls Secondary School was unofficially turned into a garbage dumping site.

Locals say SSWMB staff began dumping waste in the vacant plot almost a month ago and failed to remove it despite repeated complaints. Since then, the stench and growing trash mound have made daily life miserable for hundreds of families, students of the nearby girls' school and worshippers at the adjoining central mosque. Residents suffering from asthma and respiratory illnesses have been the worst affected.

The negligence took a dangerous turn on Tuesday when a fire broke out in the garbage heap-the second such incident in just a few days. Thick black smoke quickly spread across the neighbourhood, making it difficult for people to breathe and forcing many to remain indoors.

Residents said that despite multiple complaints to the authorities, no action had been taken to clear the garbage or prevent further dumping. "This plot has become an undeclared garbage dump. Our children study next to it, and we pray next to it. We are living in horrible misery," one resident said.

However, after the blaze erupted on Tuesday, a KMC fire tender reached the site and doused the flames. Officials confirmed that no casualties occurred, though they warned that nearby bushes and the school building could have caught fire had the response been delayed.

Locals have once again appealed to the SSWMB managing director to immediately remove the garbage and take measures to stop waste dumping in the densely populated neighbourhood.