Mansehra traders warn of protest over lack of sanitation

MANSEHRA: The traders have threatened to block the Karakoram Highway for traffic if the Tehsil Municipal Administration (TMA) does open the choked sewerage lines and remove garbage heaps scattered in the city and suburbs.

“The city has been changed into a septic tank because of open manholes and heaps of garbage as the foul smell is spread all-around and could cause an outbreak of epidemic anytime if the TMA doesn’t adopt preventive measures against it,” Mohammad Ismail, a trader told reporters on Thursday.A group of traders led by Mohammad Ismail said the sanitary and other staff of TMA was receiving salaries without discharging duties as a result of which manholes were choked in Lari Adda, Abbottabad, Kashmir roads and dirty water was flowing near shops on roads.

“The huge funds are embezzled in the name of special cleanliness drives. We are suffering as our businesses have been badly affected owing to foul smell in Lari Adda area and parts of the city,” said Ismail. He said that traders also met Tehsil Municipal Officer and local lawmakers but no to avail.

Mohammad Zia told reporters that because of the choked manholes sewerage lines and gutters, the dirty water flowed on roads and entered shops in parts of the city and its suburbs during the recent rains. “If the TMA doesn’t reopen choked sewerage lines and disposes of heaps of garbage scattered all around in the city, we would come onto streets and block the KKH for traffic,” he warned.