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Thursday March 28, 2024

Of rain, cold and unholy mess

Ishrat HyattThe steady downpour in the sister cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad during the past few days may be good for the crops, as some experts say, but the ‘chilled to the bone’ cold wave that came with it has brought suffering of another kind. Low lying areas have been

By our correspondents
March 02, 2015
Ishrat Hyatt
The steady downpour in the sister cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad during the past few days may be good for the crops, as some experts say, but the ‘chilled to the bone’ cold wave that came with it has brought suffering of another kind. Low lying areas have been inundated, not to say anything about the mud and slush which has made an unholy mess everywhere, especially in the areas where the less privileged live and the ‘kutchi abadis’(slums) where there are no paved roads.
An added nuisance is the refuse which was thrown out from over filled drains and lies everywhere, the pernicious plastic bags being the most evident. As for the areas lying along the route of the Metro Bus project, the less said the better — it is a nightmare of the worst kind. The traders along this route have already suffered loss of business and now it must be worse.
Every year, we moan and groan about the situation that arises after the rains, be it winter or summer. While rain may disrupt life for a while, the aftermath is worse because of the lack of civic responsibility that exists in the population and the fact that the drainage system is faulty, to some extent. Most of the drains have been left open — probably for easier cleaning — but irresponsible persons throw their garbage in them instead of carrying it to a nearby dump and these drains spew forth their contents or remain blocked because of this careless disposal of refuse from houses located in each area.
Images of water standing on roads and flooding low-lying areas where people have built their houses in a haphazard manner were flashed across television screens throughout the day, everyday and as the camera persons went around gathering opinions, each and every person blamed the administration for their woes. No one was willing to admit that the fault lies more with the residents of localities than with anyone else and the relevant question was not asked by those who were holding the mike. “Why do you throw your garbage and waste material in the drains and on the roads?” Everyone does it and shopkeepers are as equally to blame as the householders because they throw their packing material on the roads and drains outside their shops.
It would be a good idea for bazaar and area committees to be formed to see to it that the shopkeepers and householders practice some restraint and throw their refuse in designated bins, but when it was suggested to a senior person who could have made a difference, he was reluctant in case there were negative repercussions — people are ready to fight and put the blame on others instead of working to solve civic problems. It’s a fallout from the way political parties behave!