• Area hardly has any street that is not dilapidated
• Overflowing sewers add to people’s misery
• Residents blame govt for ‘completely ignoring’ their problems
• Town chairman says ‘work’ is underway; holds SSGC responsible for dug-up streets

KARACHI: Once a well-planned and aesthetically designed neighbourhood, North Nazimabad’s infrastructure has deteriorated over the time, something that is forcing many residents to question whether their decision to settle here was the right one.

Despite nearly two years having passed since the local government elections were held, representatives’ efforts to restore the area’s infrastructure have been almost non-existent.

The problem is not limited to broken roads alone — there seems to be no system of cleanliness in place at all in many blocks. Damaged sewerage system, overflowing gutters and filthy water seeping onto the streets hinder both pedestrian and vehicular movement and contribute to a rise in diseases among residents. Moreover, the absence of streetlights makes these broken drains even more dangerous.

However, efforts to clean the streets, fix the streetlights and repair potholes and broken roads are rarely made by local government authorities. Consequently, the area residents feel neglected and deprived of their basic rights.

They say that North Nazimabad, once considered an upscale neighbourhood, is rapidly declining and deteriorating.

A survey shows the dire state of the posh locality’s blocks.

Nazim Street and Hanif Mohammed Road in Block A, where the Area Union Committee (UC) office is located, along with other thoroughfares, are in a state of severe deterioration.

Shakir Iqbal, a resident of the same block for nearly 50 years, told Dawn that there was a time when North Nazimabad was so clean and maintained that it could be compared to any other posh locality of the city, even DHA. But service roads and streets have now been in disrepair for a long time, yet no one seems to care, he added. According to him, residents bear the cost of cleanliness themselves, as no government effort is made in this regard.

He further stated that the service roads running along Shahrah-i-Humayun, from KDA Chowrangi to Shahrah Noor Jahan, have been completely destroyed in the name of “so-called development.”

Similarly, Jameel Jalibi Street, Madinah Road and others in Block B and Asghar Ali Shah Stadium Road, situated in Block C, are in a state of disrepair.

Mehran, a resident of this block, told Dawn that there is no proper cleanliness arrangement and not a single properly maintained road. He further mentioned that whenever a part of a street becomes severely damaged, residents try to make it walkable by filling it with debris and other materials.

Makkah Street, which leads to Muhammad bin Khalil Arab Park in Block D, causes significant inconvenience to pedestrians, especially in front of the park, where even the remnants of a paved road have disappeared. The service lanes on both sides of Shahrah-i-Jahangir have completely vanished.

Block E, designed in an inverted “D” shape and aesthetically pleasing from an aerial view, is also in a state of destruction. Burhani Road and the nullah in the middle of the road are severely damaged.

Arif, a resident of Summar Apartments in G Block, stated that walking is impossible and driving has become extremely difficult. Pointing towards Sir Syed Ahmad Road, he said it has completely disappeared from surface and Hashim Raza Road is so badly damaged that even a single vehicle struggles to pass due to its multiple cracks and pothole.

In a similar manner, the streets surrounding the UC 7 office and Tariq Bin Ziyad Road in Block H are fractured in multiple spots. Shaukat Siddiqui, a resident of Block H, stated that the negligence of the authorities has turned the block into a pit of misery.

Block I’s streets around Jahangir Football Club are likewise in a dilapidated state. Syed Munawar Afzal, a resident of the block for 50 years, expressed his frustration, saying, “I have witnessed the destruction of this area’s infrastructure with my own eyes. There is no arrangement for cleanliness, and children are falling sick due to the dirt.”

He told Dawn that residents have repeatedly requested the UC Councillor to clean the area and repair the streets, but no action has been taken. “It seems as if the Sindh government is trying to turn Karachi into something like Tharparkar or Larkana,” he added.

He accused both local representatives and provincial rulers of being “focussed solely on corruption, filling their briefcases with illicit money and investing in properties abroad.”

Mujahid Hussain Software Street, Shah Mohammed Masood Advocate Street and other streets in Block J have multiple broken spots.

Minhaj, a resident of the street, was seen sweeping the street in front of his house. Expressing regret, he said, “If the civic administration took care of cleaning, why would I need to sweep the streets myself?”

With garbage piling up along the boundary walls of apartments, Block K, too, resembles a neglected place. Similarly, the road leading to National University of Modern Languages is completely broken. Akhtar Masood Road, Mateen Food Center to Karachi Metropolitan University, is also in an extremely poor condition.

Adil, a resident of Block L, stated that authorities have dug up every street — first for water line installation and now for gas lines.

Faisal, a resident of Block M, added that due to broken roads and drains, travel has become extremely difficult. At night, the darkness makes the situation even worse.

Muhammad Hassan Road, Ninth Street and other roads in Block N are also in a state of severe damage.

Town chairman’s response

North Nazimabad Town Chairman Atif Ali Khan of the Jamaat-i-Islami told Dawn that ‘development’ work on several roads, sewerage and water line replacement work is ‘underway’.

However, when asked about all the broken streets and overflowing gutters, he said it was done by the SSGC who is cutting roads, adding that the installation of new gas lines is expected to be completed by June and things would improve after that.

He also said that sanitation work falls under the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board, which is responsible for road sweeping, garbage collection and disposal.

Published in Dawn, April 3rd, 2025