KARACHI, Feb 20: Heaps of garbage accumulated on roadsides in different towns are not only creating unhygienic conditions but presenting ugly scenes to passers-by. At some places, one can even see garbage littered on main thoroughfares and footpaths, creating hindrance in the smooth flow of vehicular traffic, besides forcing pedestrians to walk on roads.

Such sites could be spotted on main Tipu Sultan Road, Jehangir Road as the refuse collecting vans were not collecting garbage on a regular basis. Similarly, a portion of ground in Gulshan-i-Iqbal’s Block 13-D, near Jeelani Masjid, often remains littered with garbage and polythene bags.

People complained that the presence of garbage dumping sites along major roads often creates a stinking atmosphere and becomes a source of unhygienic conditions.

When a spokesman for the city government was asked whether the private contractors who have recently been assigned the task of lifting and disposing of garbage have not geared up their work, he defended the private contractors, saying as a matter of fact, they could not properly work during last four or five days owing to strikes and protests held in the city.

However, an insider told Dawn that though the private contractors have initiated the work of lifting garbage from different localities, they are facing shortage of sweepers in lifting garbage from main thoroughfares, particularly those falling under the jurisdiction of the city government as most of towns have placed the services of sweepers at the disposal of their union councils and as such the nazims and naib nazims of the union councils concerned usually give preference in collection of garbage in the limits of union councils concerned.