The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has focused all its attention on the ‘billion tree tsunami campaign’ which will cost a huge amount of funds to carry it to its logical end. No doubt, tree plantation is a very noble cause and even if half of the estimated saplings grow safely it will have a very positive impact on the overall environmental and economic conditions of the militancy-ravaged province.

However, in the provincial metropolis, especially in the thickly-populated localities, the tree plantation and anti-encroachment drives will be of little use to bring a positive change in environmental conditions because of multiple reasons.

The government and officials of its relevant departments are duty-bound to find out causes of growing environmental issues and allocate sufficient funds at least to rectify the sanitation system by ensuring cleaning of drains and proper disposal of garbage and searching garbage dumping yards out of the populated areas. Besides, the officials should take strict action against all those found involved in creation of environmental issues.

One of the main reasons for all these evils is the growing number of cattle pens located in the main populated areas of Peshawar district, making the lives of people miserable. The frequent movement of buffalos, cows and other animals has made lives of citizens miserable in the streets of residential areas, while their solid waste has worsened the sanitation situation.

According to officials of various towns, there are about 200 cattle pens in parts of Peshawar and most of them are located in populated areas. It is true that local people can easily obtain milk from these cattle pens, but the presence of animals are contributing to the already polluted environment.

One can easily visit Umeedabad, Swati Phattak, Gulberg and other such areas to see the buffalo dung (waste) and remains of animal fodder floating in drains.

The owners of cattle pens have opened outlets directly to the drains and flow the manure whenever operators of nearby tube-wells switch on the button for water supply. The narrow drains then overflow spreading the effluent on the roads.

The local people are daily passing through this harsh experience while coming to or leaving their homes for offices, schools or any other routine work. They have to take extra care of their clothes while walking in the streets as the dung coupled with remains of fodder usually clog the drains and as result the sewage flow on roads and in streets.

This has become a regular phenomenon in many areas where sanitation workers can seldom be seen. The choked drains full of manure are safe heavens for breeding of all kinds of mosquitoes round the year.

“We have been regularly lodging complaints, almost every week, but no action is taken aginst the people responsible for the mess. You can see that the overflowing sewage has created ponds on the roads where children and women can hardly walk safely,” Bakhtiar Khan, a social worker told this reporter.

He said that the foul smell emanating from the effluent had made the lives of residents miserable.

Similar complaints were also raised by people in Gulberg area where several cattle pens are located and the animals can be seen moving freely, and thus changing the streets into places of dirt and foul smell.

A spokesman for the Water and Sanitation Services Peshawar (WSSP) Taimur Khan, when contacted, also confirmed that cattle pens were adding to problems and the sanitation staff alone could not overcome this chronic issue. “We have focused our attention on cleanliness and at the same time seek support from the district administration in tackling such issues so as to shift the cattle pens out of populated areas,” he said. The spokesman said that district nazim Arbab Asim Khan had also announced to devise a plan for solution to this longstanding problem. He said that Mr Asim was also a member of the WSSP’s board of directors and knew well about the situation.

“The district administration has initiated a well-planned campaign to remove all encroachments, recover state land and ensure smooth flow of traffic,” Suhail Aziz, additional assistant commissioner, told this correspondent. He said that deputy commissioner Riaz Khan Mehsud was supervising the campaign.

Mina Khan Afridi, a district council member and spokesman for the district nazim, said that shifting of cattle pens was a part of the future plan so as to minimise civic problems.

“The district nazim has got briefings on these issues in order to devise an effective strategy for solution of the problem,” he said.

Deputy commissioner Riaz Khan Mehsud said that the district administration had initiated a comprehensive plan aimed at facilitating the citizens. He said that the provincial government had announced a beautification plan and the administration would fully implement it.

He said that Peshawar was historically very important and famous city across the world. He said that solution of the traffic issues and ensuring cleanliness and removal of encroachment were among his top priorities. “We belong to this soil and have to prove our loyalty to it by rectifying the system,” the deputy commissioner said.

He said that notices had already been served on the people involved in creating encroachments to remove the illegal portions of their shops and houses by themselves. He said that duties had been assigned to officials for various localities and towns to conduct survey, check the violations, serve notices and then implement whatever was required by law of the land.

Published in Dawn, May 1st, 2016