KARACHI, Oct 16: Most non-governmental organisations NGOs) and community based-organisations (CBOs) operating in Lyari Town have almost stopped functioning apparently owing to the financial crunch.

Once regarded as active and powerful, these organisations had been playing a crucial role in creating and maintaining a healthy academic and hygienic environment, besides carrying out social welfare activities for a huge population of Lyari, which covered much of the southern part of the city before being reduced to a small town under the devolution plan a few years back.

There are more than 300 registered and non-registered NGOs and CBOs operating in the town but most of them are inactive at the moment.

These organisation had been playing a very active and commendable role until ’60s and receiving more than sufficient financial support from government, aid agencies, philanthropists etc in recognition of their sincere and selfless efforts towards the service and welfare of humanity.

However, in the ’70s, most of these organisations affiliated themselves with one political party or the other making their individual role controversial. This resulted in a considerable drop in aid from philanthropists and certain other sources.

In the ’80s, some of these NGOs started portraying themselves as developmental agencies and launched some public welfare projects in education and health sectors with the financial and technical support from some major city-based NGOs, which had succeeded in striking a strong collaboration with certain organisations of world repute. However, they could not survive for long due to their internal differences and a lack of leadership.

At present, barring a few ones, all NGOs and CBOs operating in Lyari Town are lying inactive and ineffective. The common services they render are related to informal education, funerals, matrimonial and sports, besides patch up in family disputes.

A survey conducted by this scribe shows that the NGOs and CBOs in the locality have been facing serious financial problems in providing employment opportunities and adequate educational facilities to the youth of the area and eliminating use of drugs to create a decent and healthy society.