KABIRWALA: A canal running through the city has turned into a garbage dumping ground, creating environmental and health concerns for people.
A farmer, Basher Ahmed Gill, of Allabad while talking to The News said: “My locality is known for wheat and rice crops and the canal is the only source of water supply to our crops. But, unfortunately, the canal in our area is filled with rubbish. People throw cans, polythene bags, rotten fruits and peels of vegetables in the canal.” He further said that restaurants along the canal threw their food remains in it. He said that vendors, who had set up their food stalls along the canal, threw their rotten items in it. Rao Tariq, a resident of Jameel Colony, said that their lands had turned barren due to insufficient supply of water. They had complained several times to the Irrigation Department, but to no avail. He claimed that he along with other people had gone to different shopkeepers and house owners and collected Rs 300,000 and hired two hydraulic machines and five tractor-trolleys to clean the canal on their own. He pointed out that since summer was around the corner, he was worried that the canal would become a breeding ground for mosquitoes, flies and other insects.
Muhammad Afzal, another resident, suggested that the provincial government should fine those people, who threw waste into the canal.
Abdul Rehman Shah of Supply Road locality said that the government should take the matter seriously and place garbage bins in the area to maintain cleanliness.
When contacted, Irrigation Department XEN Chaudhry Abdul Sattar said: “It is our responsibility to clean silt from canals.” He, however, said that removing solid waste from the canal did not fall into their jurisdiction. It was the duty of the municipal administration, he added. TMA Sanitary Inspector Muhammad Zubair said that it was not their responsibility to clean the waste. They had filed an FIR against a contractor for throwing waste into the canal. Assistant Commissioner Hafiz Mudassar said: “Cleaning waste and silt from canals does not fall into our domain.” He, however, said that he had got the contractor arrested and he would soon remove garbage from the canal.
