Wonderland to wasteland

Karachi is the largest and most populous city of Pakistan and is the 7th largest metropolitan city in the world. Years ago, the city’s management was so proper that there was no street that was not washed and cleaned. Owing to its exceptional maintenance, Karachi earned itself the title ‘city of lights’. But all these stories now seem to be of a distant past because this is not the Karachi I grew up in. One of the most serious problems of this city is its dated sewerage system. Choked sewers and overflowing drains end up blocking roads, sometimes even thoroughfares.

The city tremendously expanded over the years and these age-old sewer pipes were laid to cater to a smaller population. So, to expect that the same pipelines will be able to do the job is but a joke. Moreover, accumulation of dirty water at several spots in the city has opened the doors for all kinds of harmful diseases. The local administration and the government need to take notice of the problem and have new pipes installed at the earliest.

Marium Fatima

Karachi