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Mayor dismayed at sanitary condition of Islamabad’s markets

By APP
September 28, 2020

Islamabad : Mayor, Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (IMC), Sheikh Ansar Aziz has directed the authorities concerned to improve the sanitary condition in the markets of the federal capital to provide clean and tidy environment to the visitors.

During his visit to various markets of the sectors, he expressed annoyance over the poor cleanliness conditions at the area and reprimanded the sanitation staff for showing slackness in their duties.

“No negligence will be tolerated in providing facilities to the residents of Islamabad," he remarked.

He also visited sector, I-8, I-9 and I-10 to review the water situation, on complaints of the locals and instructed the water supply directorate to resolve the issues of residents at the earliest and take actions against those workers who remained absent from duty.

Aziz ordered the Directorate of Municipal Administration to fix the faulty street lights so that the people can easily go out from their houses during night and walk around the area. He was accompanied by directors, including, Sanitation, Environment, Water Supply, Sewerage and National Disaster Management Authority.

Meanwhile, a number of shopkeepers complained of declining business while criticizing the slackness of the corporation.

Despite having the first-ever local body system in place, the federal capital is giving a shabby look due to stench emitting garbage heaps and overflowing sewers at its almost every market and bazaar, they regretted.

The filthy markets of various sectors including G-6- , G-7, G-8, I-9, I-8, H-9 and others are contrary to the present government’s slogan of Clean, Green Pakistan due to bad sanitary conditions, civic agency inertia and lack of public awareness.

Markets like Melody, Sitara, Aabpara and Karachi Company have gradually lost their splendour where once residents of lower middle class thronged for food and shopping. When the first-ever local body got elected in Islamabad, “I was confident that the basic amenities would be provided to the residents but I was wrong,” Farhan Munawar, a shopkeeper in Karachi Company market said while expressing his dismay over the prevailing hygienic and sanitary condition.

Pointing out the irregular visits of sanitary workers, he said they dumped waste within the market vicinity and burnt when it turned into small mound. “The move disturbed the customer influx due to pungent smell of the smoke,” he added.

Raheem Shah, another shopkeeper at Aabpara Market narrating the same story said he had lodged several complaints at different forums but to no avail.

Contrary to the ground situation, a senior official in Sanitation Department of the MCI claimed that the cleanliness drives were being carried out in every market of the city on regular basis.

He said the sanitation department was ensuring collection and disposal of garbage in Markaz of every sector of the capital city including sectors of G, H, I and F series. The official said sixty per cent of the markets garbage comprises green waste and collection of such type of trash was not the responsibility of Sanitation Wing of MCI.

However, he said, now the department was lifting every type of garbage from the markets due to shortage of staff in other formations of the MCI. To a query, he said, some two years back the MCI had installed the waste bins in Jinnah, Super and Melody markets, but they were removed by the shopkeepers.