Iftikhar Shallwani for improving Karachi’s image by restoring rich traditions

Karachi Administrator Iftikhar Ali Shallwani said on Saturday that the footpaths and roundabouts across the city will be beautified, adding that monuments and street libraries will also be established to increase and promote the culture of education.

Shallwani said this while reviewing the beautification works around the Clifton Bridge. He said that the purpose of establishing street libraries is to make books our friends and partners. He added that if the younger generations make books their friends, we may have an educated society.

The administrator said the establishment of Chips Corner is also one of the beautification projects around the Clifton Bridge so that people can have an environment to relax. He said that slogans in different local languages will also be written to express the love for our beloved Karachi, which will create a positive impact. Shallwani said we have to improve Karachi’s image by restoring our rich traditions. “Street libraries will not only pave the way for good culture but also help our youth turn back towards books. It will also decrease extremism in society. We’re making all-out efforts in this regard and it will hopefully bear fruitful results.”

The administrator and the Karachi Municipal Corporation’s (KMC) Municipal Services Senior Director Salahuddin Ahmed inaugurated a clean-up campaign around the KMC building. Ahmed stressed the need to make people aware of keeping the city clean, saying that committees will be formed at market level for cleanliness.

He made these remarks while inaugurating the Saaf Karachi campaign on World Cleanup Day. The campaign is jointly being carried out by the KMC, the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board (SSWMB), the Bohra community’s Tanzeemun Nafaasat. Representatives of all the organisations were also present on the occasion.

Ahmed said that boundary walls should be erected around garbage dumping points so that litter could not spill out onto the roads. He said that trash should be lifted on a daily basis from the dumping points or even twice or thrice a day from the areas that generate more rubbish. He told the relevant officials that after shifting trash to the designated garbage stations, fumigation should be conducted to control the spread of diseases. “Dumping points should not be established around schools and places of worship at any cost.”

He said the SSWMB may display banners for awareness on its vehicles. “Plans should be devised for model towns and model markets and to make the masses aware of the importance of cleanliness and to discourage them from throwing rubbish on roads.” Ahmed said Karachi generates 16,000 tonnes of garbage daily, and they can lift 12,000 tonnes of it. People should also be aware not to litter storm water drains with trash because it leads to their choking and causes hardships for the citizens, he added.