THATTA: A considerably large portion of the lush green lawn of the Gharo rural health centre (RHC) was on Tuesday turned into a treeless space with the consent of its medical superintendent Dr Nizam Khaskheli.

While supervising the chopping of dozens of full-grown trees, he exercised his powers to prevent a group picnickers, who happened to be there, from making any attempt to stop the tree-felling activity during their protest.

The picnickers had briefly stopped at the RHC after visiting the nearby Haleji Lake — locally called “birds’ paradise” — and tried to resist tree-felling arguing that the action was bound to snatch the RHC premises of its natural beauty, besides depriving patients, their attendants and other visitors of oxygen-generating sheltering trees abundantly present there.

The MS, however, disregarded their displeasure over the activity and ordered labour to continue with the work. Truckloads of chopped-off trees were later transported to Karachi for sale. The protesters kept watching the whole activity helplessly, before leaving the place, after Mr Khaskheli warned them that he would not tolerate “obstruction in the discharge of my official duty”.

Local reporters along with cameramen rushed to the RHC after receiving information about the tree-felling activity but the MS did not speak to them on the matter.

In the evening, a large number of local residents approached Thatta Deputy Commissioner Ghazanfar Qadri and requested him to look into the matter. They said he must realise that the trees had been serving as a vital part of the healthy environment purposely retained and maintained at the RHC — frequented daily by several hundred people seeking medical treatment -- located along the Karachi-Thatta section of the National Highway. It is the most im­­por­­tant health facility available in the vast area and catering to the healthcare needs of a big population. Not only patients suffering from different diseases benefit from it, but those suffering injuries in traffic accidents on the roads leading to picnic points in Thatta and Makli also find it the nearest centre where emergency medical assistance is available. They urged the DC to stop further destruction of environment at the RHC.

Taking notice of the matter, DC Qadri constituted an inquiry committee comprising chief monitoring officer Dr Khalid Nawaz Qureshi, Dr Nazir Ahmed Khawaja and Dr Mehboob Katiyaar and asked it to submit a report to him through the Thatta district health officer.

Published in Dawn, December 1st, 2021