KARACHI, Sept 2: Flies and mosquitoes have invaded various parts of the city in the aftermath of recent rains, exposing citizens to various diseases such as malaria and cholera.

A visit to different commercial markets of the city shows flies hovering and sitting on fruits, meat, chicken and other edible items being sold on pushcarts and in shops without any nets.

Although it is mandatory under the law for sellers of meat, chicken and fish to ensure there is proper netting around their shops, and those selling fruits on pushcarts are required to cover foodstuffs with nets, this law is being openly flouted in almost all important commercial areas of the city including Lea Market, Liaquatabad’s main and Dak Khana markets, Gol Market, Empress Market, Mansfield Street, Daudpota Road, Preedy Street, Tariq Road’s commercial area, Burnes Road and Karimabad market.

Expressing concern over the prevailing unhygienic condition at the city’s commercial centres, doctors and concerned citizens remarked that “it was beyond their comprehension why the health and food officials of the city government and town administrations’ are not taking any action against those selling fruit and other edible items without placing nets, although they have even got (the) powers (to) arrest such elements on the charge of exposing citizens to health hazards.”

The general secretary of the PMA’s city chapter, Dr Habib Soomro, demanded of the city nazim and nazimeen of the town administrations’ to immediately ask the officials concerned of the health and food departments to give exemplary punishment to all those violating the rules of placing nets on the foodstuffs, remove all sorts of filthy material and debris from commercial areas, make the city roads, streets and pavements free from the menace of encroachments and start an anti-mosquito campaign, or else malaria and cholera might spread in the city in an epidemic form.