KARACHI, Dec 27: Unrest is brewing in Lyari Town since no serious effort has been made to solve chronic problems of water shortage, garbage disposal, drug peddling, encroachment, battered roads and unemployment despite repeated protests staged by residents to draw attention of the authorities concerned.

Though area residents understand that proper planning and effective strategy on a long-term basis is required to solve serious issues like unemployment, drug menace, lack of health and education facilities, they believe that their immediate needs including water supply and effective management of sewerage have always been ignored by those at the helm of the affairs.

Despite tall claims of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board, water shortage still exists in Shah Beg Lane, Baghdadi, Daryabad and Nawababad union council areas. The shortfall in old and new Kalri comprising Ali Mohammad Mohalla and Edu Lane is acute because the locality has not been connected with any main water supply line so far, residents of the area say, citing political reasons for the suspension of the work that once was started.

They point out that work on the supply line connecting Ali Mohammad Mohalla with a pumping station near Aga Khan Maternity Home via Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai Road was started some time ago but it was abruptly stopped later for reasons best known to the authorities.

Ali Mohammad Mohalla people, who are mostly engaged in the fisheries business, say they voted for the ruling party candidates who pledged that they would get the water issue resolved at the earliest. However, it has been almost a year since the general elections and nothing seems to have materialised so far, they complain.

Though some parts of Baghdadi are receiving water on alternate days the situation in the surroundings of Yusuf Haroon Road, Lyari Telephone Exchange and Sheedi Arabi Masjid is the worst. Residing near the mosque, the few people who get water complain that they are only receiving sewage-mixed water on alternate days.

An area welfare committee has repeatedly brought the matter to the notice of town, city and provincial authorities, but failed to get it solved.

Sewerage system

The outdated sewerage system in Daryabad, Nawabad and areas surrounding Karabai Karimji, Shah Wailuallah and Fidha Husain Sheikha roads is beyond repair, area people say, advocating the need for laying of new drainage lines to cater to the needs of the huge populace.

Sewage from overflowing gutters and choked lines has inundated roads, streets and residential area, but the local authorities as well as the provincial government have failed to do anything.

Representative of the Mohalla Committee Aziz Khattri, who has been lobbying for years to get both the issues resolved, says that the repeated reminders sent to the government at all levels fell on deaf ears as no practical step has been taken so far.

Encroachment

Though blame for the prevailing conditions is often put on encroachment, the town municipal administration has failed to control the ever-growing menace. An anti-encroachment drive launched some time back failed to achieve the desired objectives, for a powerful mafia of encroachers reportedly managed to get the operation stopped.

At present, most boundary walls of public buildings, footpaths, Lea Market and its surrounding areas are virtually in control of a transport mafia while the ban imposed by the local authorities on the construction of multi-storey buildings has also failed to bear fruit.

Most people of the area blame their elected representatives for a breach of trust, saying that the ruling party candidates who pledged to improve their living conditions before the general elections have now forgotten them. “If we (the government) could not manage the affairs of a small town in a period of 10 months how can we run the country?” an irate resident remarked.