KARACHI, April 5: In the absence of a proper solid waste disposal system, civic authorities have failed to lift heaps of garbage for weeks in parts of old city areas causing unhygienic conditions there.

Areas of the Lyari, Saddar and Keamari towns have been suffering most as the civic authorities used certain places as garbage dumping points.

The solid waste was being dumped in open drains and along the riverbeds and being openly burnt on roadsides, in streets and in parks. This had become a common sight in the metropolis that clearly suggested that the authorities had no proper and safe system for collecting, managing and disposing of solid waste.

The Saddar, Lyari and Keamari towns lack proper facilities for collection and lifting of garbage, resulting in insanitation. Municipal officials of these towns had always cited shortage of funds, transportation and sanitary staff as some of the hurdles in the disposal of solid waste and to improve the state of cleanliness.

Efforts had recently been made to privatise and introduce a mechanized sweeping system, but this could not produce desired results.

One of the problems in the congested towns of the city was that a lot of designated dumping sites had been grabbed by the ‘land mafia’, where they built multi-storey buildings.

Finding no place for proper dumping of garbage, the domestic, commercial and even hospital waste was being dumped at the nearest street corner.