Absence of official records, basic services, rehabilitation policies deepens crisis
Mailsi village. Photo: Courtesy YouTube
MAILSI:
Nomadic settlements scattered across Tehsil Mailsi have increasingly taken the shape of a neglected humanitarian, social and security crisis, drawing concern from social circles who say continued state inattention has allowed the situation to worsen and now demands urgent intervention from higher authorities.
Like many parts of Punjab, Mailsi hosts a large population of nomadic families living in makeshift huts along roadsides, railway tracks and near residential areas. However, neither district administrations nor other government departments possess verified data on their exact numbers, identity or living conditions.
The absence of any clear policy for their registration, rehabilitation or social integration has left the issue to grow unchecked.
In Mailsi city alone, nomadic families can be found near the railway station, Model Town, Jamal Town and Dauraha areas.
Similar settlements exist in surrounding localities including Adda Nohail, Dokota, Adda Lal Sagu, Tibba Sultanpur, Garha Mor and other areas, where families live in temporary huts near highways, junctions and populated neighbourhoods.
Unofficial estimates suggest the number of nomadic individuals in the tehsil may run into several thousands, though constant migration and lack of official registration make accurate figures impossible.
A major concern is the near-total absence of legal identity among these communities.
Most families do not possess national identity cards, depriving them of access to education, healthcare, social protection schemes and financial assistance programmes, including the Benazir Income Support Programme.
The lack of documentation also prevents many from benefiting from public health initiatives such as polio, measles and rubella vaccination campaigns, further deepening health risks.
Social workers including Haji Muhammad Bilal, Chaudhry Ataul Muhyuddin Gujar, Chaudhry Akbar Ali and Muhammad Usman Akram say food insecurity is widespread among nomadic families.
Most lack access to balanced and nutritious meals, often relying on leftover food from weddings, feasts and public gatherings.
As a result, children, women and elderly individuals suffer from malnutrition, chronic illness and poor physical development.
Experts warn that persistent nutritional deprivation is contributing to educational backwardness, substance abuse and broader social decay within these communities.
Living conditions further deteriorate during extreme weather.
The huts, typically made of grass, cloth and plastic sheets, offer little protection against seasonal changes.
