Villagers, commuters and coastal families appeal to the authorities as drains overflow and clean water runs dry.
KARACHI: Residents across Sindh are raising the alarm over failing sanitation and water systems, with villagers in rural Hyderabad and Jamshoro, commuters in Malir and coastal communities in Thatta and other parts of the province appealing to the authorities for urgent relief.
In the villages of Ghanghra Mori, Ghulam Shah and Jiando Halepota, residents say the Line Channel, which runs past the Tando Alam Marri oil field towards Tando Fazal, now carries sewage instead of fresh water. Villagers say families rely on the channel for washing, cooking and drinking, and that illness is rising among children and the elderly. Farmers say the water is damaging their crops and land.
They have appealed to the Sindh Irrigation Department, the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) and the Hyderabad district administration to stop the flow of untreated sewage, publicly share water test results, install solar-powered reverse osmosis (RO) plants, and clean and line the channel.
In Karachi’s Malir district, residents protested that Steel Town and the road under Quaidabad Bridge, used daily by thousands of people travelling between Karachi and Thatta, have become unsafe because of overflowing gutters and damaged road infrastructure, causing long traffic queues and further deterioration of the roads.
They said an assistant engineer of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation had been alerted four days earlier, and appealed to the Karachi mayor and the deputy mayor, who was elected from Malir, for immediate cleaning.
In Hyderabad’s Latifabad Unit 8, sewage has accumulated in Eidgah Colony, including Ansari Mohalla and the road in front of Ghousia Masjid, with dirty water entering homes. Residents say no effective action has been taken for days and have appealed to the Chief of Army Staff, the Sindh chief secretary, the divisional commissioner, the deputy commissioner, the Hyderabad mayor and the managing director of the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) for an emergency response.
In Block C-2 of the same unit, in Union Council 110, Ward 3, residents say a blocked sewage line has sent filthy water into streets and homes for a month, while missing manhole covers and heaps of garbage add to the risk.
In Jamshoro district’s Bholari Municipal Committee, residents report increased mosquito breeding because of poor sanitation and have demanded better garbage collection, drainage of standing water and mosquito spraying.
At Karachi’s Daud Chowrangi, a dysfunctional sewage system has left main roads submerged, causing severe traffic jams. Residents and commuters have demanded emergency repairs, warning of the stench, the risk of disease and accidents involving motorcyclists and pedestrians.
In Thatta’s coastal belt, including Darsi, Indo, Khanani, Gharo, Malhiri and Bunali, residents said a severe water shortage and drought-like conditions had hit labourers’ families hard, with some unable even to afford two meals a day. They have demanded an emergency supply of clean water and relief measures for poor families.
Leave a Reply