KARACHI: Complaints about filthy water on the rise
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, July 23: Increasing incidents of mixing of sewage with potable water and overflowing gutters in the aftermath of recent rains are assuming alarming proportions and residents of affected localities apprehend that they might be exposed to various health hazards.
Admitting that complaints pertaining to contaminated water supply and blockage of sewerage lines have increased in the last week, officials of the city government’s water and sanitation department attribute it to flushing of rainwater into manholes by sanitary workers of several town administrations.
“In fact, the city’s sewerage system is already on the verge of collapse and if the trend of draining rainwater in manholes instead of storm-water drains continues unabated, there might be more complaints about contaminated water supply. It may also result in overflowing gutters,” a senior official of W&S department cautioned, saying such a situation might even result in the spread of epidemics in the metropolis.
As most of sewerage lines in the city have out-lived their lives, they are not in a position to take the extra load of rainwater which usually carries with it solid waste, mud and polythene bags, he said, adding at a number of places where sewage lines have already choked, domestic sewage was not finding its way to sewerage lines.
The W&S official said the sanitary workers of various towns were breaking the sewage manholes and flushing rainwater in an organized way.
Even the covers of a large number of manholes which were used for flushing rainwater had either been broken or manholes left open without realising that pedestrians and motorcyclists might fall into uncovered manholes.
Meanwhile, complaints pertaining to contaminated water supply continue to pouring in newspaper offices from different parts of the city.
Most of these complaints have been received from Liaquatabad ‘C’ Area, Own Homes, situated in Federal B’ Area’s Block 21, Shah Faisal Colony’s Union Council-1 (Natha Khan Goth) and Malir’s Kausar Town.
People residing in F B Area’s Own Homes complained that are being supplied stinking water for the last five days and the officials concerned have not yet been able to rectify the fault responsible for water contamination.
Similar complaints have been received from residents of Shah Faisal Colony’s Hazara Chowk, its adjoining localities and Liaquatabad ‘C’ Area.
Residents of Malir’s Kausar Town said although they were being supplied contaminated water for the last nine months, the concerned officials have not taken measures to remove the fault.
Moreover, complaints of choked and overflowing gutters have been received from North Nazimabad’s Block D, sectors 8-A, 8-B, 9 of Malir’s Saudia Colony, in the vicinity of Malir’s degree Science College, Khokhrapar’s D-1, D-2, G and H Areas, PECHS’ Block 2, near Mehmood Ghaznavi Park.
Residents of Saudia Colony complained that since sewerage lines of their localities are completely choked, domestic sewage was not flowing into gutters.
Knee-deep sewage is stagnant on a road, situated in front of Jamia Millia College, Malir. Almost the entire road has become a pool of sewage where garbage has been dumped and the spot has become a breading ground for mosquitoes. It also gives an ugly sight to passersby.
People residing in the vicinity fear that since pipelines are passing underneath the inundated road, sewage might seep into it and thus they too will become a victim of contaminated water supply.
