Daily Times

SHIKARPUR: A city known for its beatification and planning, Shikarpur is now showing a sign of destruction as its civic system has almost collapsed and roads have been damaged due to negligence of the district administration including elected representatives.

The North Sindh Urban Services Corporation [NSUSC] has completely failed to ensure cleanliness on the streets as well as on main roads including Hathi Dar, Jumani Hall, Lakhi Dar Chowk, Station Road, Circular Road and in other public places of the district.

Sewerage water has submerged all the main roads and streets while garbage dumps at every diversion point has resulted in severe health hazard. NSUSC Assistant Manager Nisar Shar told this correspondent over phone that the corporation was unable to carry out cleaning work due to shortage of funds.

He accepted that the citizens were suffering from the civic problems. He said that the NSUSC was facing funds’ shortage, because its operation director in Sukkur did not release funds on time. Shikarpur Deputy Commissioner Sikandar Khushk was not available for his comments despite repeated attempts to contact him.

Agha Essa Khan Pathan, one of the elected councilors, said that all the funds of corporation have been used in Sukkur and Rohri as an act of favoritism and the (NUSUC) administration has deliberately neglected the sufferings of the people of Shikarpur.

Naveed Alam Abro, Zahid Bhanbhro, Gulsher Khan, Sikandar Siddiqui and other notables said that the choked sewerage system was spreading foul smell in the locality. They said that the officials concerned had turned a blind eye to their miseries.

The situation had forced them to take to the streets to lodge their protest against NSUSC administration in Shikarpur, they said, and demanded of the authorities concerned to take notice of the fundamental issues and ensure cleanliness in the city.