KARACHI, Jan 27: Almost all narrow streets and pavements of Tariq Road’s main commercial area have heavily been occupied by pushcart vendors selling fruits, vegetables, items of daily use and other merchandise.

Moreover, whatever space, left open by these vendors on these streets, has been encroached upon by hotel-owners who use to ‘furnish’ the otherwise pavements and roads by putting chairs, tables and other paraphernalia, causing hardships to pedestrians and commuters.

Residents of the commercial area of Tariq Road have complained that disorderly parking due to the encroachments by vendors, shopkeepers and hotel owners, had become a big menace.

They pointed out that on the one hand, all streets of the commercial area often remained encroached upon while on the other, filthy water gushing out of the chocked sewerage lines usually remained accumulated on a number of streets, causing stinking environment in and around the markets.

They pointed out that the sewage overflow had become a matter of routine in the commercial area.

The concerned officials of the city government’s Water and Sanitation Department, they added, had failed to overcome the recurring problem despite numerous complaints lodged with them on several occasions.

They lamented that an unhygienic environment prevailed in the area and regretted the rules relating to covering meat, fruits and other eatables with nets were being flouted openly while none of the violators had been caught or punished.

They demanded of City Nazim to direct the concerned officials to immediately remove all sorts of encroachments from the markets and ensure restoration of hygienic condition in the commercial area.

Owners of a number of shops in the area have complained that filthy water from chocked gutters has accumulated over a vast area near Rehmania Mosque for the last several days.

They said that the concerned officials had neither rectified the fault nor flushed out sewage water from Tariq Road and its two other affected streets.