SUKKUR: Activists of various political, religious, nationalist and traders’ organisations took out a rally under the banner of the Sukkur Development Alliance (SDA) here on Wednesday in protest against poor performance of the North Sindh Urban Services Corporation (NSUSC).

The rally led by SDA chairman Haji Mohammad Jawed Memon and others started its march from Paper Bazaar and converged at Clock Tower roundabout where the participants held a demonstration. The leaders complained in their speeches that despite drawing handsome salaries and availing themselves of various facilities, the NSUSC officials had done little to keep the city clean and supply safe drinking water to town residents.

They said that heaps of garbage littered the city which often led to chokes in sewerage system and eventually sewage overflowed on roads and streets, turning into breeding area for mosquitoes besides giving off unbearable stench.

They feared the garbage and swarms of mosquitoes might cause an outbreak of gastroenteritis, malaria, skin and eye diseases among the town residents. They said that the drinking water the NSUSC supplied had foul smell, which suggested it might have germs harmful for human health. They said that they complained the city administration and the NSUSC about the civic issues but the officials concerned turned a deaf ear to their pleas, forcing them to take to the streets.

They demanded the government should rescind the accord with the NSUSC over its failure to discharge its duties and warned the protest would continue till the problems were resolved.

Published in Dawn October 27th, 2016