Karachi, The Chairman of the Pasban Democratic Party (PDP), Altaf Shakoor, has raised concerns over the increasing prevalence of diseases, particularly waterborne illnesses such as diarrhea, in Karachi. He attributes this rise to the ongoing decline in municipal services and the ineffectiveness of local governance.
According to Pasban Democratic Party, Shakoor highlighted several issues contributing to the health crisis in Karachi. He pointed to broken water pipelines and overflowing gutters as primary sources of water contamination. He described how residents in some localities, especially those in shanty towns, break pipelines to access water, inadvertently causing further contamination by washing clothes and vehicles at these sites. This dirty water then mixes back into the supply chain, ending up as drinking water for the city’s population.
Shakoor criticized the Karachi Water Board for failing to address these issues, suggesting that corruption within the agency allows these practices to continue without intervention. Furthermore, he noted the failure to effectively manage solid waste in the city. Despite private companies receiving substantial contracts for garbage collection, Shakoor observed that many areas are still littered with uncollected waste, contrasting sharply with successful recycling efforts seen in European countries.
The PDP chairman also accused city officials, including councilors, town Nazims, and the city mayor, of neglecting their duties. He argued that while they are vocal in their political assertions, their actual performance in improving municipal conditions is lacking. Illegal constructions and sprawling shanty towns along major highways such as the M-9 Superhighway were cited as examples of governance failure.
In his concluding remarks, Shakoor called for a comprehensive plan to improve living conditions in Karachi. He emphasized the need for provincial and federal governments to support the city in overcoming its civic challenges, underlining the importance of Karachi to Pakistan’s overall economic health.