Satellite town, Rawalpindi is portraying an unpleasant sight of open sewers and drainage. The sewerage system of the area is very poor. Rapid expansion of the nearby market has added more to the misery. Restaurants are being opened up with negligence in cleanliness. These food outlets throw leftover food items into the drains affecting the sewerage system. This clogs the drains creating overflowing sewers. Open sewers, running around all the houses, have created a nuisance for pedestrians. The condition of streets is no better. Uncovered gutters have become trashcans for the neighbourhood. Residents dump their garbage in the gutters. When it rains, the polluted water from the gutters overflows and makes stagnant pools on the streets. Already containing hazardous materials, these pools harbour more microbes which are the cause of the contamination of environment resulting in water and air borne diseases.
This situation cannot be entirely blamed on the irresponsible attitude of the municipal corporation since people are equally accountable for it because of their insensibility and indifference. It should be the priority of concerned officials to construct a proper sewerage system and establish more treatment plants in order to improve the condition of the area. Education and awareness is the ultimate answer to a lot of social problems. People should be told that it is their national duty to keep the country clean.
Zarah Javed
Rawalpindi