Daily Times

KARACHI: Karachi remains littered with garbage despite promises by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) to resolve the city’s waste management issues within 60 days.

Before the general elections, PTI workers took to the streets to clean some parts of the city. Unfortunately, the localities they swept are back to their original state with overflowing sewage, blocked gutters and heaps of garbage piling up at every corner. This sight is as common in East Karachi as power cuts in the rest of the city.

Interestingly, PTI has initiated its by-election campaign for both NA-247 and PS-111 with the same promises of resolving the city’s sanitation and waste management issues in order to make Karachi clean again.

Earlier, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan directed the provincial government to get rid of the accumulated garbage in the city within 60 days. However, given the state of the metropolis, it appears that the aforementioned directives have remained unheeded so far.

Discontent has also grown in residents who live in localities facing the brunt of the garbage problem. Nadeem Palna, a resident of Korangi told Daily Times that Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) and District Municipal Corporation (DMC) trucks come to the area infrequently. “They come after weeks and these infrequent visits are not enough to save the residents of Korangi from the intolerable smell of rotting garbage and open sewers,” he lamented. Palna further said that the government was paying mere lip-service to the prospect of cleaning up the city. “I am sceptical about PTI’s promise of cleaning up the city within 60 days,” he said, adding that the terrible stench of garbage lingered on even after the trucks took away the garbage.

According to Jibran Ahmed, another resident told Daily Times that the garbage situation of the city was anything but resolved. “The situation is getting worse. Open sewage drains and garbage dumps are giving rise to many harmful diseases in the city,” said Ahmed.

“Our city needs serious attention from provincial, federal and district governments,” said Mahrukh Rabnawaz, a student. “We, the citizens, are so frustrated with the indifference of the administration,” she added. “Karachi’s garbage issue needs to be resolved soon or it will grow worse,” remarked Rabnawaz.

Reportedly, sewage water from clogged gutters inundated the mosques in Liaquatabad Town. “Sewage water is seeping into our worship places now. Was this the change we were promised?” questioned a disgruntled resident.

According to this year’s Global Liveability Index released by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), Karachi is one of the least liveable cities in the world. The metropolis was ranked at 134th in a list of 140 cities.

Published in Daily Times, September 27^th 2018.