Waiting for Godot: The change that never reached Paharipura

WSSP trucks zip through locality every day but fail to collect waste from area

PESHAWAR:

When the slogans of change fell on their ears, the residents of Paharipura thought things might finally change for the better. They decided to vote for a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf MPA from their locality. The MPA won by a margin of 16,036 votes. Little did they know that the future would be so bleak and threatening.

The MPA was none other than former minister for mines and minerals Ziaullah Afridi. Two years after being voted in, the MPA is in jail on corruption charges and the promise of change has steadily lost ground.

Breeding ground

Amongst other problems, nearly all the streets of the city’s locality are punctuated by heaps of garbage. The locals have nowhere to go to have their grievances addressed. Water and Sanitation Services Peshawar trucks zip through the roads every day but seldom stop for a moment to collect waste from the neighbourhood. As a result, a pungent stench wafts through the area.



Frequent rainfall has made the situation worse. Overflowing drains have become a common sight. More often than not, water merges with waste material and flow into houses and shops. When the locals do away with the unwanted guest, the stagnant water in empty plots and roundabouts become breeding grounds for mosquitoes and the source of a stench that is bad enough to make you dizzy.

No respite

With all the latest machinery at its disposal and tall claims on the face, the WSSP worries little about extending its generosity to Paharipura. Waste collection bins that were set up long ago, are seldom visited by workers. “It seems PTI’s change was only limited to GT Road and University Road,” said Muhammad Irfan, a local.

Talib Jan, another resident, voiced similar concerns. “The truth is, there is no one to oversee the WSSP’s performance and hold it accountable,” he added.

The sidewalks that were once visible to the naked eye are now covered with filth. “We cannot even open our windows thanks to the thick stench and the mosquitoes,” said Haji Namdar Khan, another resident of Paharipura.

Namdar maintained anyone passing through mounds of rotting food and vegetables which are regularly dumped in the area by local vendors must put a handkerchief on his nose. “Burning the waste is also not the solution,” he said. “The stench is replaced by black clouds of smoke.” Zafar Awan, a local trader, said if the most basic problems cannot be solved, the government will not be able to address more pressing concerns. “Look at this pile of trash,” he said. “It speaks volumes about our living standards.”



Hameed Azhar said every now and then the locals have to open up the clogged sewers themselves. “If the WSSP is not capable of handling this they should just say it so that we hire someone else for the job,” the resident added. WSSP Operations Manager Haji Namoos Khan was not available for a comment despite repeated attempts to contact him. When contacted, company secretary Nasir Ghafoor said he will not able to comment on the matter.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 19^th, 2015.