KARACHI, July 25: Islands in Baba Bhit Union Council (UC-4), Keamari Town, have long been victims of neglect as no serious attempt has been made for years by any government agency to improve socio-economic condition of their residents.
A survey of the three islands - Baba, Bhit and Shamspir - shows that even basic facilities have not been made available to the people who earn their livelihood mainly through fishing.
The most pressing problem, the residents say, is drinking water in adequate quantity. They point out that despite their constant efforts over almost a decade, no measures have been taken by successive governments to ensure availability of this most essential commodity to the people.
According to them, an underground sea pipeline connecting Shamspir island with a Kaka Village pumping station near Mauripur had been laid in 1985, but the project could not be made operational because the water meant for the islanders was diverted to some other area where a national security agency was accommodated.
The survey also shows that due to absence of proper health facilities on these islands, the residents have to rush to hospitals in other towns even in case of emergency. Women and elderly people experience great hardship as they have to be boarded first on boats, the only means of transportation between the islands and other towns of the city.
Keamari Town Nazim Zulfikar Yunis, realizing the situation, told this reporter that the town administration had accorded top priority to the issue of water supply. Efforts were being made, ever since the introduction of devolution plan, to resolve this pressing issue as soon as possible.
He said that a number of meetings had been held with concerned officials in this regard. He claimed that these efforts had produced positive results as an understanding had been reached with certain government agencies for water supply through the already laid pipeline.
At the same time, he added, efforts were made to improve living conditions on Bhit Island. An open drain project, costing Rs2.4 million, was being launched this year to ensure hygienic condition throughout the island, he added.
Besides, the nazim said, repair work on jetty would also be undertaken and street lights would be installed during the current year. Residents of the three islands severely criticized high-ups of the Karachi Port Trust (KPT), which claims ownership of the islands, for showing no interest in development work on the islands and denying grant of lease to the residents.
Some of the residents alleged that the KPT's land department created hurdles in the way of development work whenever a private house was built. They also condemned KPT for 'victimizing' poor fishermen though they regularly paid channel fee to it.
The Trust did not carry out any dredging work in the channel despite collecting the fee, they complained. Residents of Shamspir particularly deplored closure of the land route linking the island with Yunisabad.
They pointed out that the route was the only access though land to that area and had been in use of the local population for years. The town nazim told this reporter that he had approached the KPT chairman and apprised him of the problems, as well as people's complaints against officials of the KPT's land department.
He said that the chairman had held out the assurance that the grievances would be looked into and removed. He said that the Yunisabad route issue had also been taken up with the city government. An amicable solution to this problem also would be found, he hoped.
Once a tourist site and main attraction for picnickers, Baba Bhit islands have now lost their glory only due to the absence of basic civic facilities and dangerous slopes. The recent announcement by City Nazim Naimatullah Khan with regard to the development of coastal areas along Karachi had created a ray of hope among the residents.
During his visit to Hawkesbay some time back, the city nazim had also assured the Keamari Town nazim of due attention to the development work and provision of basic facilities to the local residents.
