KARACHI: Outbreak of viral diseases feared: Stagnant water
KARACHI, Aug 25: The rainwater accumulated in various localities of the city after the heavy downpours that lashed the city on Aug 17, may cause outbreak of various viral diseases.
The municipal administration has pathetically failed to drain out the stagnant water even after a lapse of seven days in many areas of the city.
These pools of stagnant rainwater are serving as breeding places for mosquitoes which may cause viral diseases. Due to lack of proper cleanliness arrangements, the number of flies has also greatly increased.
In many areas of Saddar, Clifton, Kharadar, Lyari, Site and old city areas besides Bath Island, Mir Karam Ali Talpur Road, Aga Khan-III Road, Din Mohammad Wafai Road, rainwater still standing on the roads, streets, playgrounds and vacant plots, has started producing foul smell thus adding to the miseries of the people.
The city government and the cantonment boards have failed to drain out rainwater from these areas.
Outbreak of various diseases is also feared if the stagnant water is not immediately drained out and a fumigation drive not carried out immediately. Despite claims of the city government and other civics bodies no fumigation drive was in sight.
BEACH PARK: The rainwater accumulated at Beach Park and Bagh Ibn-i-Qasim could only be drained out on Thursday, after a lapse of eight days, however, the accumulated water has damaged the swings, fountains and grass at the newly developed parks.
A visit to the parks revealed that there was no proper drainage system at the parks in question, due to which the parks remained flooded by the rainwater for many days.
Ironically, a storm water drain is located adjacent to the parks, while Arabian Sea is also a few yards away, but the city government's parks and horticulture department failed to drain out the rainwater for 7 days due to absence of proper slope in the parks towards the drains, a source in the city government said.
"Millions of rupees were spent on the two projects, but absence of proper drainage system has damaged installations at the two parks", the source maintained.
The source claimed that substandard material was used in the construction leaving the two parks in deplorable condition within a year.
The parks had remained closed for the last 10 days for public, the source added saying that now they have been open after the stagnant water was drained out.--Online
