Rawalpindi sewerage system grows toxic

The scenario on the Service Road running along Airport Road says it all: a sewer in front of a medical lab & diagnostic center near a courier stop has turned into a toxic, highly polluted cesspool, but the civic authorities have closed their eyes. This sewer is a symbol of all that is wrong with Rawalpindi city. The impact of the dirty sewer is being felt across the neighboring localities.

“It was I think in 2005 when I settled in Shah Khalid Colony, this road was a cleaner place back then. Today, memory is all that remains of that period. Now we see our area in an advanced stage of urban decay that some say cannot be reversed,” recalls Anjum Jafri.

Asif Raza says: “The sewerage system gets chocked during monsoon and dirty water enters in houses and shops in areas like Javed Colony, Awan Colony, Shamasabad, Sadiqabad, Shakrial, Dhok Kala Khan, Bilal Colony, Nadeem Colony, Tench Bhatta, Kashmir Colony, Muslim Town, Ashraf Town etc.”

“The foul stench emanating from the sewers, into which virtually all the waste is dumped, is overpowering. The most common source of water contamination is leaky rusty underground water pipelines and cross-connection between water supply lines and sewerage pipelines. The supply water gets heavily polluted and feels like emanating from a stench of death,” says Sheraz Hasan.

“It’s not that the city residents are not sensitized about the grave risks of this highly contaminated water. There has been no shortage of expert committees and recommendations to clean up the sewers. Sewer water has led to heavy contamination of the groundwater along its course,” says Ayaz Abbas.

“The last clean-up drive was initiated many years ago. Since then, if anything, the areas affected by the sewer system have only become more numerous. Crores have been spent on ineffective and sporadic clean-up efforts. But a sustained and intensive effort, as recommended, is nowhere on the radar of the city administration,” adds Ayaz Abbas.

“Successive administration officials have been making noises from time to time to rectify the situation. They banned the disposal of garbage into sewers. But it was quickly forgotten, and the volume of garbage dumping increased even further. Garbage and sewage dumping has continued unabated,” says Akhtar Hussain.

Residents submitted a report, a big noise was made, but then it was put on the shelf. No one knows what ultimately came of it,” says Hayat Haider.

“Unfortunately, there have been few proactive steps taken by citizen groups to force the administration into action. People are more concerned about their own personal agenda rather than the common cause,” says Muqadas Kazmi.

Raziq Ali says: “Instead of cleaning the sewers on a piecemeal basis every year, the civic authorities ought to focus on sustained efforts to implement the various expert recommendations.”