KARACHI, Dec 8: The storm-water drain passing through Mohammadi Colony (popularly known as Machhar Colony) has filled to its capacity with filth and garbage posing a serious threat to public health. Several thousand families living in this locality, falling in the limits of Keamari Town, are vulnerable to serious health hazards because of the extremely unhygienic conditions created by the choked drain.

Instead of serving as a storm-water drain, the channel has been carrying untreated sewage and all sorts of garbage and filth for a long time and with its flushing end opening into the sea the drain has been disposing of its contents into the sea. However, neglect on the part of the authorities concerned has led to the clogging of the drain and it has not been cleared of solid waste for years.

The densely populated colony, situated in the periphery of the Karachi Fish Harbour along Mauripur Road, has witnessed a rapid increase in its population over the past three decades. Mainly inhabited by poor and downtrodden families, the colony has not been regularised since its emergence in the 1970s.

Residents of the colony are worried about the possible water-borne diseases as a fallout of the winter rains that are bound to aggravate the already degraded environment all around. “If steps are not taken for the cleaning of the storm-water drain on an emergency basis now, the clogged channel may wreak havoc in the entire colony,” some old residents told this reporter.

They said that abject poverty and extremely unhygienic conditions in the colony had made the life miserable but no serious efforts were being made by the local or provincial governments to provide them at least healthy environment.

They pointed out that sewage and filth was making their way into their houses, after inundating the narrow streets of many lanes, because of the clogged drain.

The colony’s population has been without basic facilities like piped water, sewerage system, health and education facilities, etc, they added.