Daily Times

KARACHI: Poor sanitary conditions, mixing of sewerage in potable water and uncollected garbage are resulting in spread of infections in the twin densely populated fishermen’s localities of Machar Colony and Mohammadi Colony in Karachi’s Kemari Town, Daily Times learnt.

Chocked gutters, mixing of sewerage in potable water lines, heaps of garbage, dense smoke are chronic problems faced by the locals are increasing the patient burden on over-stretched healthcare system. Due to lack of facilities, poor people are spending a major chunk of their meager incomes on purchasing medicines and paying fee of doctors.

The settlement, where most people are employed by the fishing industry, is also amongst the biggest slums of Karachi.

“Due to the poor condition of sewages system, contaminated water and the non collection of garbage, area people have become patients of hepatitis B and C,” said Rashid Sardar, Founder and General Secretary of Pak Maheegir Welfare Association.

“Poor drinking water quality and sanitation has lead to major outbreaks of waterborne diseases in these localities,” said Rashid Sardar, Founder and General Secretary of Pak Maheegir Welfare Association.

Like majority of the city areas, in both localities is depicting same scenario where underground sewerage lines and water supply pipes run side by side and as these old pipes leak the gutter water gets easily mixed up with potable water, resulting in many water-borne diseases mainly hepatitis A and hepatitis E, leading to infection and inflammation of the liver.

Complaining about the indifferent attitude of civic agencies including Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, District Municipal Corporation West Karachi, Karachi Water and Sewerage Board, Sindh Solid Waste Management Board, the residents have called for taking effective measures to meet any eventuality before any epidemic might breakout in the town.

“On paper there may be but on ground there is no presence of government institutions that would be there to improve water and sanitary conditions,” said Sultan Ahmed,
a local resident.

“Due to the absence of an effective sanitation network, sludge and heaps of garbage are strewn everywhere providing breeding ground to flies and mosquitoes and other insects exposing locals to serious health problems,” said Sajid Ali, another resident of Mohammadi Colony.

“We appeal CM Sindh and other officials to take immediate notice so that more people could not be affected due to filthy conditions,” he added.