KARACHI, Sept 21: The poorly dumped bags of oil-soaked debris, removed from the slick-hit Clifton beach, has become a source of health hazards around the designated landfill site in Jam Chakro Village, near Surjani Town.

Resident and social workers of the area have strongly criticized the concerned departments, agencies and officials for negligence and apathy towards public health. They demanded immediate shifting of the dumping site to some deserted area and lamented that scientific methods for the disposal of the contaminated waste material were not being applied and the hazardous stocks were being piled up in the open close to the populated area.

The city government has designated the spot as landfill site where about 1,000 bags containing oil-soaked sand and debris have already been dumped without neutralizing their hazardous effects.

Parveen Saeed, a social worker, said growing number of cases of eye, throat and skin problems were reported in Sectors 5-D and L-1, located near the landfill site, soon after the dumping started.