LAHORE, once known as the City of Gardens, is suffering under the unbearable pressure of rapidly increasing population on the city’s dwindling resources. People from villages and smaller cities relocate to Lahore for better opportunities, but the city is ill-equipped to deal with this massive influx of people. Once an upmarket area, Shadman and the bordering Shah-jamal area has massively deteriorated, with schools and apartment blocks cropping up just about everywhere.

In fact, the main market in Shadman looks more like a slum now. The open air drain we used to see while crossing the bridge over to the other side has now become a garbage dump where all the shopkeepers and vendors throw their garbage, and even relieve themselves.

The stagnant water acts as a breeding ground for mosquitoes, heavily polluting the environment and spreading all kinds of waterborne diseases. The heaps of garbage and filth should be removed and the area be thoroughly fumigated.

Instead of making cosmetic and super-ficial changes, the government should organise a cleanliness drive to clear up the environs around the Shadman market, which is a residential and commercial hub of Lahore, the provincial capital.

Gaitee Ara Siddiqi
Lahore

Published in Dawn, October 21st, 2025