No respite from water shortage, overflowing sewage on Eid

Despite Sindh government’s repeated directions, the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) and the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board (SSWMB) failed to do their jobs during Eidul Fitr as various areas of the city remained water-starved, inundated with sewage and littered with garbage.

One such area was North Karachi of District Central where it was difficult for the residents even to offer Eid prayer as streets leading to mosques had been submerged by sewage.

This wasn’t the first Eid the residents had faced such a problem. “It has been misery of every year. Gutters are cleaned some days before Eid but then few days before it, all the gutters of the area start overflowing,” said a resident of the area, Arsalan Ali.

It was very difficult for the elderly Aslam to walk and hop through the sewage to offer Eid prayers. “The entire area reeks of sewage smell. We couldn’t go to the mosque the entire Ramazan to offer Taraweeh due to the presence of sewage on streets,” he lamented, adding that they managed to offer Eid prayers by being able to reach the mosque through a car.

Residents of many other areas spent Eid in the same plight. Sewage kept overflowing near Samama on University Road during the three days of Eid. Various areas of Gulshan-e-Iqbal and Gulistan-e-Jauhar also suffered the same issue of overflowing gutters.

Water shortage

Although water was properly supplied to the city from the Hub Dam, residents of many areas faced severe water shortage during Eid.

An official of the Hub Dam told The News that the city was being supplied 80 to 85 million gallons of water per day. He remarked that water shortage in Karachi was certainly because of the KWSB’s mismanagement.

Meanwhile, on the directives of Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani, special counters were established at the water hydrants of the KWSB for Eid. According to a statement issued by the water board, its online water tanker service also remained functional.

The KWSB claimed that supply of water to the commercial tankers was stopped during Eid. The statement added that Katchi Abadis and mosques would be provided water tanker free of charge.

A KWSB official told The News that water was only available to satisfy 44 per cent requirements of the city and the water board was facing a shortfall of 56 per cent, which meant that they had to manage water supply very carefully during Eid.

“The consumption of water already increases manifold during heat waves,” the official said and admitted that there must have been water shortage in some areas.

As for the sewage issue, the official blamed it on lack of sewer machines and sweepers, and massive commercialization.

“We have only 32 sewer cleaning machines and we need more than its double to clean the sewer lines,” the KWBS official said, adding that the massive high-rises constructed in the city everywhere in recent years had destroyed the sewerage infrastructure of the city.

Solid waste disposal

Taking notice of the garbage situation in the city, SSWMB’s Atur Das Sajnani directed the board’s employees to speed up the work.

According to a statement issued by the board, the SSWMB’s work was affected during Eid holidays due to the absence of drivers and porters.

It is pertinent to note that the board is only functional in three districts of the city – District South, District East and District Malir. In the remaining districts of Karachi – District Central, District West and District Korangi – the respective District Municipal Corporations (DMCs) are responsible for lifting garbage.

SSWMB Executive Director Nisar Ahmed Somroo visited University Road, Shahrah-e-Quaideen, Tipu Sultan Road, Bahadurabad, Tariq Road, Jail Chowrangi, Shaheed-e-Millat Road and other areas along with the Chinese contractor who explained to him how the unavailability of porters and drivers had made it difficult for them to lift garbage from those areas.