KARACHI, Sept 2: The recent spell of monsoons has rendered most of the major commercial centres of the city in bad shape and people are being forced to endure a filthy environment in and around these areas.
A visit to the main Tariq Road commercial area, Burnes Road, Empress Market, Bohri Bazaar, Light House market, Paper Market and Kharadar’s Mohtandas market revealed that sewage gushing out from several choked gutters has spread along pavements of these markets, causing inconvenience to those visiting these markets as well as to the passers-by.
A number of shopkeepers of the markets in Saddar deplored that the menace of overflowing gutters had become a recurring problem on various streets but it seemed that the officials concerned of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) were least interested in rectifying the faults responsible for these choked sewage lines although they had even staged protest demonstrations against the prevailing conditions.
They were of the view that the problem of stagnant water on different thoroughfares and streets of Saddar, Kharadar, Mithadar, Bohri Bazar and Paper Market road had started about a fortnight back when the old city area’s sewerage infrastructure collapsed, since then sewage had been overflowing from many of the choked gutters thus polluting the areas and exposing the shopkeepers and the shoppers to various health hazards, besides causing inconvenience to them.
Besides these commercial hubs, Burnes Road — famous for its eateries — is presenting a perfect picture of the apathy of the authorities concerned as sewage has been accumulated along the pavements of its different lanes.
The situation has further aggravated due to the irresponsible attitude of the owners of the various food outlets situated in the area as their habit of dumping leftover food and other garbage on roadsides has created a stinking atmosphere in the locality.
Unfortunately, in such an environment these food outlets continue to serve food to the visitors on tables placed on roadsides.
Shopkeepers of different markets have urged the KWSB authorities and officials of the town municipal administrations concerned to ensure cleanliness around markets before the advent of Ramazan.
