Lost in the hum-drum of everyday life, most of us do not stop to appreciate the people who work to make our lives more comfortable. Indeed, those responsible for many of the basic amenities we take for granted, such as clean streets and fully functional utilities, go virtually unnoticed.

Among the professionals who work to keep life clean and freshly-scented for residents of the capital are the laundry workers of the dhobi ghats. When Islamabad was first built and conceived, there were supposed to be designated laundry spaces in each sector, which were supposed to be managed by the Capital Development Authority (CDA). However, as washing machines and automated laundromats became more and more popular, the plans fizzled out.

Today, there are two main dhobi ghats in the city, in sectors G-6 and G-7. While the space and the equipment is managed by the CDA, private individuals take care of the washing up, as has been the practice in the past. Only, except for the signature splat of wet cloth meeting concrete, one can hear the distinctive racket of large-scale laundry machines and dryers.

Those who work here are mostly carrying on the family business and pay an annual licence fee to the CDA in exchange for using the machines. The days of manually washing clothes may be long gone, but the dhobi tradition is still alive and kicking in the capital.

Published in Dawn, May 31st, 2015

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