Children residing at Lahore’s Child Protection and Welfare Bureau (CPWB) enjoy a special iftar during Ramazan PHOTO: EXPRESS
KARACHI:
Residents of Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town’s Blocks 13-D/2 and 13-D/3 are facing a severe shortage of basic civic facilities during the holy month of Ramazan, as gas and water supply has been suspended while ongoing road construction has filled the area with dust and potholes, making daily life extremely difficult for residents.
According to local residents, the situation has deteriorated to such an extent that several families have temporarily left their homes and shifted to the houses of relatives.
Details reveal that the Sui Southern Gas Company has been laying new gas pipelines in the area for the past several months. However, due to allegedly faulty work at one location, gas supply to most houses in Blocks 13-D/2 and 13-D/3 was abruptly suspended on Thursday night at the time of sehri. As a result, many residents were forced to observe their fast without having sehri. Three days have passed since then but the gas supply has still not been restored.
A resident of Gulshan-e-Iqbal Block 13-D/2, Syed Ali, said that gas supply to his house and most homes in Blocks 13-D/2 and 13-D/3 has remained completely suspended since Thursday. He said he had registered a complaint with the complaint center of the Sui Southern Gas Company and was issued complaint number 292613603, but neither has the problem been resolved nor has anyone contacted him so far.
He added that during Ramazan not only has gas supply been suspended but water supply has also been disrupted. According to him, about a month ago a major water line burst at the Dhabeji Pumping Station, while later another leakage in a water line in the Aziz Bhatti area Karachi caused further disruption. Officials of the Water Board’s District East office reportedly informed residents that water supply in Gulshan-e-Iqbal has remained suspended due to these issues.
Residents say it is surprising that water supply to the NIPA Hydrant never seems to stop, where tankers are filled around the clock and water is sold at high prices to residents. They said this situation is particularly frustrating because residents continue to pay their regular water bills.
According to residents, there are three major entry points to Blocks 13-D/2 and 13-D/3, where different institutions have been attempting to construct roads for the past five months in the name of development, but the work has yet to be completed.
One road from Own Heights Flats to the Karachi Circular Railway track is being constructed by the Gulshan Town administration. Another road from Nauman Square to Karim Residency is reportedly being built by the federal government’s development agency, the Pakistan Infrastructure Development Company Limited (PIDCL), through funds allocated by a Member of the National Assembly. Meanwhile, the Sindh government’s urban development project, the Competitive and Livable City of Karachi Project (CLICK), is constructing a road from City Lawn to Lines House.
Residents say that work on these development projects has either been left incomplete or is progressing at an extremely slow pace. According to them, when they lodged complaints with officials of the CLICK project, they were told that road construction would only begin after the gas pipeline work is completed.
Local residents further complained that the poor condition of the roads has made access to the area extremely difficult. Drivers of school vans and water tankers often refuse to enter the locality due to the damaged roads, and residents have to persuade them repeatedly before they agree to come.
Because of these circumstances, several families have temporarily moved to the homes of relatives. Residents also pointed out that people originally belonging to interior Sindh, who usually travel to their native towns a few days before Eid-ul-Fitr, have this year started leaving for their hometowns much earlier during Ramazan because of the ongoing problems.
Residents added that the situation has been further aggravated by widespread encroachments and the activities of pushcart vendors. According to them, carts are often placed in the middle of the roads, causing traffic congestion, while vegetables and fruits are sold at inflated prices.
They alleged that the town administration and the Deputy Commissioner East have not taken serious action against encroachments, nor has any effective campaign been launched to control the sale of essential food items at high prices in Blocks 13-D/2 and 13-D/3 of Gulshan-e-Iqbal.
