KARACHI, Sept 20: Residents of Mohammadi Colony, Keamari Town, have demanded regularisation of their locality and provision of basic amenities, pointing out that they had been denied water, power, sanitation, education and other basic facilities for more than 30 years.

They lamented that the colony, one of the oldest in the metropolis, was not being regularised apparently due to a row over its controlling authority.

Situated in the vicinity of the Karachi Fish Harbour near Wazir Mansion railway station, the colony has a mixed population of different linguistic and ethnic communities, mainly manual labourer by profession.

The local residents say that the colony has no proper drainage system although the city’s major storm-water drain passes through the locality.

Due to neglect on the part of the authorities, the drain often oozes sewage that inundates the colony’s roads and streets, creating an unhygienic atmosphere.

They further state that no proper system of water supply to the local population has ever been evolved. Therefore, people have to fetch water from the passing conduits through illegal connections or buy tanker water.

Abdul Sami Khan, a schoolteacher and social worker, said: “We have been struggling for the regularisation of the colony for the past 30 years but in vain because of a dispute over its jurisdiction among the KPT and other land-owning agencies.

He was of the view that the local population would be able to live a decent life only when the dispute was settled and planning was made for the provision of basic amenities to the colony.