Clouds of dust hovering over areas near dug-up roads of Karachi are causing serious healthcare problems for Karachiites, besides inconvenience to millions of commuters due to crippling road jams.
The air in Karachi due to dangerous concentration of vehicle-related smoke is a serious healthcare concern for people and now clouds of dust from dug up roads almost in every area of city are further aggravating the situation.
The motorists could be seen struggling to drive in dusty atmosphere due to dug-up roads at dozens of places in the city, besides other uplift projects of water and sewerage lines, etc.
The city depicts a chaotic picture in affected areas, as the dug up roads and streets create innumerable problems for citizens. The motorists risk their lives while driving in dust filled atmosphere over trenches, holes and craters at affected areas. Elderly persons, children, particularly those suffering from asthma and other lung diseases are at the receiving end.
Perhaps no area of city is safe from menace of dug-up raods, but the main affected arteries include Sir Syed College roundabout to Liaquatabad, Qauidabad Road, many main and link roads in Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Hasan Square to Jail Chowrangi, Sohrab Goth, Shahra-e-Orangi including Main Banaras Chowk, I. I. Chundrighar Road, Main Safoora Chowk and other areas.
One of the busiest thoroughfares of the city, University Road from Jail Chowrangi to Hassan Square and a portion of Sharah-e-Pakistan had been dug up for purpose of laying sewerage lines.
In Lyari, Mirza Adam Khan Road - from Dhobi Ghat to Ghulaman-i-Abbas School - has been dug up for reconstruction. Similarly, Mir Mohammad Baloch Road, Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai Road, Siddique Wahab Road - from Spenser Eye Hospital to Ramazan Kanta, Miran Naka Road from 8-D Chowk to Pankha Hotel are also in bad condition.
Several dug-up roads in Orangi Town included Metroville Road from Frontier Chowk to Metroville; Sharea Orangi from Chowrangi No 5 to municipal office; Mominabad Bazaar Road from Faqir Colony to Mominabad, and Sharea Qatar from Sector 8-L to Datanagar.
Besides, causing immense hardships to motorists and commuters in public transport, these dug up roads are contributing to traffic jams, noise and air pollution, which is reported to have already reached beyond the extremely dangerous levels in some of busiest parts of the city.
Doctors say that about 90 percent of the diseases of throat, eyes and ears have roots in the smoke emission and excessive dust particles that we inhale everyday while commuting.
Due to ongoing construction process, sewerage lines in many localities have been badly damaged and their filthy water getting mixed with drinking water lines. This situation may result in outbreak of waterborne diseases like gastro-enteritis and dysentery.
According to estimates over 1.4 million vehicles run in Karachi everyday. The number of public transport vehicles alone stands at 15,000. These include hundreds of old and rickety buses and minibuses.
These dug-up roads have compelled Karachiites to violate traffic rules and regulation. To reach their destination early and not in dust covered condition, many motorists use to violate traffic routes in search of safe shortcuts which also create road accidents sometimes.
A traffic cop deployed at Jail Chowrangi told PPI that it was so difficult for him to perform his duties in the dusty air. He said commuters who wait for their bus at Jail Chowrangi and the motorists are the worst affected as they have no option but to breath in dust.
When asked about the measures taken by traffic police for their safety, he said they had been provided with a jacket and a face mask to cover mouth and nose.
Syed Aamir Ali Gillani, a businessman said traffic jams and dusty environment had now become a routine life for the Karachiites as CDGK had launched work on several projects simultaneously. He said that he used to get his car washed once a month, but due to dust on roads and streets of city, he now gets his vehicle washed every week.
Interestingly, during last months of his tenure as city Nazim, Niamatullah Khan was bitterly criticised by those running CDGK affairs now for digging-up city roads simultaneously.
Faryal Najeeb, a student of Mass Communication, University of Karachi said due to the dusty atmosphere in many areas of metropolis, many citizens were suffering from skin allergies and respiratory problems. She alleged that on one hand CDGK was claiming facilitating citizens while on other it had created problems for them by digging up many roads at a time.
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