KARACHI: Earlier this week, reports of turbid water being supplied to a portion of Gulshan-i-Iqbal, block 4-A, were published on these very pages. Two days prior to this, another news item was issued stating that Lyari continued to receive contaminated water. Almost once a week, news of water shortage, supply of contaminated water or deaths due to harmful water sources make it to the newspapers without fail. As readers, we read the item and move on to other sections.
When news of the death of a young mother of four was told to me tearfully by a domestic help living in the same area, i.e. Lyari, with cause of death being severe dysentery, the event took on a reality other than being just another death in Karachi. Upon probing, it was revealed that water in her area appeared almost black and three to four deaths per month were inevitable. The specific areas include the environs of Lyari like Daryabad, Nayabad and near Khadda market, where residential population goes in millions. The water can sometimes even be reddish in tinge - the ‘colour coding’ probably depends on the kind of refuse or toxic waste that is mixed in it. Can we imagine giving such water to our children or even of drinking it ourselves?
Lack of water in most of Karachi has remained a problem for years simply because of the prevailing corruption in concerned departments [how come water tankers with gallons of water are always available 24/7?]. The subsequent filth in places like Lyari where the lower income groups stay and the lack of cleanliness on their person have sadly become a habit out of sheer helplessness.
These people have gone through days of parched existence in extreme heat with the old and feeble - not able to walk long distances towards water sources - being reduced to the wretched state of not even being able to clean their waste off themselves for days. Infantile dysentery is common and other related diseases like cholera, malaria, typhoid etc rise out of these very issues, i.e., no water, bad sanitation and the resulting polluted environment.
This generation having grown up watching cable TV, has a more aggressive attitude towards these problems. Sitting by and waiting for reprieve is not what they’ll do. A few months ago when water shortage terminated the supply to a part of Lyari for some days, the women of the area staged a day and night sit-in near the water tank, protesting vociferously to all concerned departments and officials till they were heard and till water was released to the area.
Agitation has become their only resort in most cases. And before water riots become the only option for inhabitants of water deprived areas, the issue should be taken up as a national emergency before the riots engulf all of Karachi. Seemingly mundane issues have been the reasons for a national revolt many a times.
In the areas of Daryabad and Nayabad the contaminated water coming in is a direct result of various factories situated in the area which obviously don’t have separate industrial waste disposal lines. There is a scrap yard, a soap factory, tannery and other such industries which continue to mix their waste in the fresh water lines.
The residents of Lyari are discussing the option of another sit-in to make the authorities take action against the contaminated water supply. They feel that aggressive tactics are required as it is obvious that human deaths and media reports are never noted. Caught in the brutal gang-wars these days even the women and little children also talk freely about ‘beating up’ the officials until they are heard.
The critical issue here is the responsible authority [or authorities]. The town Nazim for Lyari township is one Mr Abbas Baloch whose interest in the township does not go beyond his election and his office remains closed for all civic pleas. It is incidentally the deputy Nazim - Sumar Angora - who does what little is in his power. But whose absolute power is it and who is accountable for this continued state of depravity that has been a part of such areas for so long?
The President’s Devolution Plan was announced keeping in mind the ‘reconstruction of state institutions by the National Reconstruction Bureau and the establishment of genuine democracy for the transfer of power to the people.’ This included the revamping of the local bodies structure and the election for nazims (replacing the title of Mayor) for all cities. But accountability still remains vague as the questions arise whether the city nazim is responsible for the upkeep and daily running of all city essentials which include the above mentioned network and facilities; the local government ministry should look into this or the town nazim should be hauled up for his inefficiency?
As per the new system, emphasis is on the district government. It comprises a totally new set of laws and rules after it did away with the five zones into which Karachi was divided. Now, there are ‘towns’ and ‘councils’ and the previous ‘commissioner’ is the Karachi Nazim’s District Co-ordinating Officer.
The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) is no more but the Malir Development Authority (MDA) and the Lyari Development Authority (LDA) are now under City Nazim Mr Niamatullah Khan. And the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB), which is still functioning [if that’s what you call it!] is simply waiting to be privatized and the city nazim has had little luck in revamping its working.
According to Mr Khan there is one head of Karachi, which is himself, but the local ministry has never accepted the situation as such. Moreover, there are eight towns that the city is divided into with their town nazims and then there are 178 elected union councillors, which are the direct representative of the people who in turn elect the nazim and the naib-nazim. Hence [supposedly] the lowest tier has a say by casting his/her vote for the councillor of his area. Has this devolution of power [in effect for nearly two years now] made the civic amenities better? NO!
Despite Niamatullah’s concerted efforts to restructure the road network, education and health etc, snags due to inefficiency of others in this complicated system of governance impedes his progress. The confusion increases as the town nazim’s jurisdiction bypasses as well as overlaps some of the areas of the city nazim, and at the end of the day, most civic amenities in Karachi remain subjected to bureaucratic haggle.
One authority has to be clearly defined to be held accountable for the pitiable water and sanitary conditions existing in townships like Lyari. If that is not done soon, there is no telling how far the affected residents will go to protest and agitate for their basic rights and eventually engulf the entire city in its wake.
