| January 28, 2008 | Monday | Muharram 18, 1429 |
Waiting for Corridor III
A charismatic, larger-than-life human being has been deprived of her life and dreams in mid stride. I am saddened by the incident but even more stunned and shocked by what followed. It just shows to what depths we can sink to, especially the opportunistic elements among us.
I live in a C-shaped apartment block, located at the Schon Chowrangi. There are shops on the ground floor, offices and storerooms on the mezzanine floor and six flats on each of the above two floors.
On the fateful night of Dec 27, 2007, I managed to reach home with great difficulty at 11pm, had dinner and went to sleep around 1am. I was rudely woken up at 2am by the violent ringing of the door bell. On opening the door I was shocked to see the chowkidar, who agitatedly said that the building was on fire and we should all vacate it quickly. Panic spread in the family as I gathered my mother, wife and children and managed to reach the safety of the road with great difficulty through the thick, black smoke which had started to engulf the stairs.
I asked the chowkidar how the fire erupted and he replied that four to five youngsters came to the branch of a bank located on the ground floor and threw some inflammable material through its glass doors. This exploded and the bank caught fire, which then rapidly spread to the flats above. I called the city government fire department for help, only to be told that they were busy and referred me to the DHA fire office. I called them next and was told that a fire tender would soon be there. We all helplessly watched the fire eating its way into the flats, adjoining shops and offices. After an interval of 45 minutes, one fire tender arrived and started operations but to no avail, as its water finished within 15 minutes and it went away to refill its tank. Our desperate pleas to both the city government and the DHA to send two to three fire tenders together so that the blaze could be brought under control fell on deaf ears, as only one fire tender came at a time, wasted its water and went away. Throughout all this we watched the relentless progress of the fire.
There are branches of four well-known shoe brands located on the ground floor along with their storerooms on the mezzanine floor. As the fire spread to these shops and storerooms it became uncontrollable, the burning leather being no match for the meagre amounts of water thrown by a single fire tender. We saw our homes being destroyed in front of our eyes as the frustrating delay, combined with the shortage of fire tenders, only added to our misery.
As dawn broke a senior official of the DHA arrived along with a few fire tenders in tow. We narrated our nightmarish ordeal to him and urged him to request the city government for more fire tenders and a snorkel (to throw water into the interior of the flats where the fire was raging), but even he was unsuccessful in addressing our grievances.
Time passed agonizingly for us. Finally, at around 4pm, 14 hours after it had started, the fire was put out. The material damage was colossal; eight of the 12 flats had been ravaged in varying degrees, none in habitable shape. Saving a few, most of the shops, offices and storerooms had been destroyed. We had been deprived of our homes and belongings.
None of us would ever forget the meaning of the word IMPOTENCE, as that was what it felt like seeing our homes going up in flames with nothing that we could do to stop the loss. My wife had tears streaming down her face when she saw our own flat being ravaged by the insatiable fire and there was nothing I could do or say to console her.
We finally went to our flat and were appalled by the degree of damage. There was no evidence of doors, windows, beds, cupboards, clothes, documents, electronic items etc.
All we could see was ashes and soot along with the ankle-deep water that had collected in the entire flat. To compound the issue the flats and offices had developed large cracks in the walls, roofs and floors, thereby raising the question of stability of the entire building.
I guess it is futile to wonder about the motive of the hoodlums, who committed this heinous act, or to question the absence of the police and Rangers (who could have prevented this from happening) at this critical juncture in our lives, or to even hope that our fire department will ever improve. And will we, the residents, really get compensated for the huge losses suffered in this incident? All of us are middle class tax-paying citizens, with some widows and single elderly ladies.
We are thankful to God for there was no human loss and to our chowkidars for warning us in time. May God grant them a long, healthy life and give us the patience to bear our loss gracefully.—Dr F. Shaikh
A tribute well-deserved
Contemporary history has the pride of witnessing a number of large cities rise and shine. May it be a financial giant like New York, a blend of sophistication and progress like London, a tourist’s paradise like Paris, a technology phenomenon like Bangalore, or spectacular and stunning Sydney, they all add to the reasons that give mankind a sense of achievement.
But if there is a city that has had a rough journey against the tide amidst violence and has proven to be the pulse of a nation’s economy with an attractive lifestyle, it’s our very own Karachi: home of over 15 million people!
Go through the local news archives of the last two decades or so and you won’t be able to sketch a very encouraging picture of this city. The law and order situation has always been volatile, while political violence, sectarian conflicts and even infrastructure loopholes have often appeared to be halting the long march towards glory. Strike calls can easily shut down the city’s entire business on any given day. So where is the resilience coming from? What keeps this city of lights glowing somehow? The answer is everyone living here — and we all deserve a tribute. Though the large businesses have a significant impact on Karachi’s macro-economy, it is the middle and working classes that have a decisive role in keeping the city alive and kicking. Traders and shopkeepers from almost all ethnicities run the ‘big show’ on roads, markets and streets while factory workers keep the wheel turning —all with a huge diversity of cultures, values and backgrounds.
Hence it’s a unique synergy hardly found in any other major city of the world. And this synergy is just enough to overpower all the threats our dear city and homeland face today. Hats off to Karachians!—Haris Siddiqui
Compiled by Syed Hassan Ali
Email: karachian@dawn.com
Sir,
FROM North Nazimabad, I often commute to the city by taking the route of main Nazimabad road. This means I first reach the roundabout of Abdullah College, where incoming traffic from Orangi Town and Banaras also merges, often resulting in traffic jams. Half a kilometre ahead from the roundabout is a traffic signal. It is just before the Major Arshad Shaheed bridge.
Crossing the main intersection one ascends the bridge. While descending, after less than 200 yards there is another traffic signal near AO Clinic. On the right side of the signal, a congested road goes towards Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.
Most of the time the signal is crowded with vehicles. Ambulances have to wait here with their hooters blaring constantly. From here up to the Sir Syed Girls’ College via the Nazimabad bridge, the traffic runs smoothly as it is ‘signal free.’
From here the traffic moves at a snail’s pace for one kilometre. One has to pass through Gulbahar’s sanitary retail market, which is on both sides of the road. Literally, more than half of the road is occupied by vehicles, including donkey carts. Lasbella bridge is less congested, but one has to be very alert; you often have to face vehicles coming from the wrong direction head on.
Once you cross the Lasbella bridge, another traffic signal awaits. Cross it, and another 1km-long congested stretch with double and triple parked rickshaws wait for you. After this you reach Guru Mandir and … another signal. Traffic here is always heavy and also disorganized.
You reach main M.A. Jinnah Road and a sixth signal awaits. By this point in time, you must have spent almost half an hour or more on the road.
If the present city government has the time and resources – which I think it must – it should concentrate on this project as Corridor III of the future. Like the other two corridors, it would minimize the commute timings and millions of commuters would benefit from it.
KUNWAR KHALID YUNUS
North Nazimabad
Youth and speed together in the form of motorbikes is increasingly becoming a menace on the streets of Karachi as bike-riders are violating every rule of driving.
During rush hours, bikers try to enter every available space, totally disregarding everyone else driving beside them, especially causing a great menace by blowing their hooters and horns. They go left, right and make turns of all kinds in front of cars, causing unnecessary tension to many elder drivers.
Car drivers wonder why bikers are not restricted in their free-wheeling, which causes all sorts of hazards for themselves as well as for other vehicles. Frequently, bike-riders hurt themselves trying to speed through the narrowest corner; if they succeed, they become even more overconfident of their driving skills.
This is exactly why the traffic authorities have to control over-speeding. The speed of bikes must be curtailed to a maximum of 25 km per hour and their horns must be taken out. Locally- manufactured bikes as well as all imported bikes must have their speedometer limited to 25-30kms. Only then will bike-riders give up speeding themselves to death as well as spare other drivers on the road from their menacing driving.
M.M. Khan
DHA
Many people have placed street barriers without permission in Delhi Mercantile Cooperative Society and Al-Hamra Cooperative Housing Society, thus creating a lot of trouble for residents of the societies, as well as aggravating parking problems.
We request the city nazim to take immediate action against the illegal street barriers.
S.M. IDREES
DMCHS
Sui gas ‘load-shedding’
Sir,
About 4,000 consumers residing in the vicinity of Lyari’s D.D. Chaudhry Road, UC 5, Baghdadi, including residents of Baitul Hashim Building, have been persistently experiencing Sui gas ‘load-shedding’ since December last with two to three hours’ break during the afternoon and evening, which is causing great inconvenience. Sometimes the gas pressure drops below the minimum level.
The authority concerned is requested to kindly look into the matter, remove the fault, and restore the pressure of Sui gas to our area at the required level.
ABDUL AZIZ KHATRI
Lyari
I would like to draw the attention of the city nazim to the numerous illegal advertisements and chalking scrawled across the walls of schools, hospitals, parks, flyovers and on buses by various political parties, religious groups, and people of various professions publicizing their goods or services through this illegal and unethical method.
Because of this practice, our beautiful city looks very ugly, despite millions of rupees that are spent on beautifying it.
It is pertinent to mention here that even an ambulance service is being advertised through this illegal practice. I am astonished at the fact that they are using this unlawful method to advertise their noble profession.
ALLAHWARAYO LARIK
Landhi
From the perusal of telephone bills for the month of November, 2007 of numbers 562-3176 and 567-0838, I have the following observations:
Regarding 562-3176, Rs500 has been charged as ‘other charges.’ This is not understood. Also, Rs30 has been charged as ‘special facility charges,’ even though no CLI facility has been provided on this number since its change-over from copper line to fibre optic.
Concerning 567-0838, every month I bring to your notice the incorrect billing of this number on overseas calls. There has been overlapping, i.e. two calls are shown within the same time period. How is this possible?
You are requested to please take cognizance of my complaints and refund the excess billing.
BRIG (RETD) ASIF RASHID
Karachi
city@dawn.com