Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The rapid growth of encroachments, illegal stalls and cleanliness issues are great nuisance for the citizens and are portraying ugly picture of the federal capital.

The commuters and public transporters feel hindrance due to illegal stalls and encroachments from Aabpara to Bari Imam bus stop that is a great annoyance for them.

The residents of the area complained that Capital Development Authority (CDA) is not paying attention towards cleanliness issues as they have been facing acute difficulties due to illegal stalls. They demanded the civic body and local administration to take strict action against the encroachers.

Residents of G6 sector have called for taking urgent and practical steps to ensure sanitation and cleanliness of the locality.

Residents further said that heaps of garbage around Aabpara Market water filtration plant is causing certain diseases and environmental pollution. The unhygienic conditions are also affecting children who play at open places.

A commuter Muneeb Shah said that the encroachments are causing inconvenience to the people as the footpaths are being occupied by the encroachers. CDA enjoys its sweet sleep and pays no heed towards the prevailing issue, he added.

Another resident Malik Saad Awan said that cleanliness situation at Aabpara does not match with the standards of a modern capital like Islamabad. The cleanliness in the market is not up to the mark and a lot of improvement is required, he added. He demanded CDA for placing more dustbins in the market.

A local guesthouse worker Naveed Hussain said that the encroachments are causing inconvenience to the people but CDA is not serious to solve this issue. The removal of the encroachments and cleanliness in the Aabpara Market should be ensured to revive the original beauty of the capital city, he added.

A hotel owner Mukhtar Hussain Reta said that a comprehensive cleanliness strategy should be evolved in consultation with the trader’s community in this regard.

Another resident Farukh Azeem said that Aabpara is the oldest market of the federal capital and its original beauty should be revived by removing all the encroachments.

He further said that CDA should launch across the board action against encroachers in the markets and other areas of the city.

A senior official in municipal formation of the civic body said that it is our collective responsibility to keep our houses, streets and sectors clean. “This would enable us to transfer this asset of clean Islamabad to the next generation”, he added.

He further said that the haphazardly throwing of litter by the residents is posing serious health problems as well as promoting unhygienic conditions. This also causes pollution and sanitation issues that add to the many of the other environmental problems, he added.