Operation launched to destroy 'sewage vegetables'

In compliance of the orders of Commissioner Karachi, Land and Revenue Department has launched an operation alongside the left bank of Malir River, aimed at destroying the vegetables and fodder fields being irrigated with sewage water, but sources said the operation is a mere eyewash by the authorities concerned.
The operation started early Friday from Korangi Expressway where the officials destroyed cultivated vegetable and fodder crops with the help of heavy machinery. Although LRD destroyed vegetables and fodder fields spread at about 100 acres of land with the help of police, tube wells supplying contaminated water to the fields were not completely destroyed, however, some generators were confiscated, sources told Business Recorder.
They claimed that the operation has been started on the desire of 'raiti, bajri' (construction material) mafia, which is often involved in lifting gravel and sand illegally from the banks of Malir River. Since the mafia had been lifting sand from the bed of the river and minimising its capacity to store water, farmers were left with no option but to use sewage water to grow vegetables. They told this scribe that the mafia is enjoying backing of some high-ups in the provincial government. They furthered that authorities concerned have destroyed the tube wells, which supply water to fodder crops, but not the ones providing water to the vegetable crops.
When contacted, Deputy Commissioner East, Qazi Jan Mohammad said the operation has been launched jointly by two districts, Malir and East, to remove the vegetables and fodder. "With a fear of surfacing of diseases because of these vegetables that could be brought in markets, we started operation to wash out these fields", he said, adding that the operation will continue for a couple of days. He noted that different vegetables including, pumpkin, green chilli, spinach, turnip, carrot, cauliflower and maize etc besides animal green fodder are also cultivated with this toxic water, adding that some 300 acres of land was being used for the purpose. "We have broken the pipelines supplying contaminated water to these fields from nullah (drainage) besides confiscating generators", he said.
But he was not well informed how many generators have been confiscated or how many pipelines were broken in this regard. Sources said that once the operation completes, farmers will again use these lands, as their complete infrastructure of water supply has not yet been destroyed. Moreover, they revealed that Gutter Baghicha, property of Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, is also producing agriculture products with the same toxic water.
It is pertinent to mention here that around 700 acres of land spread from Malir Sessions Court to Korangi Graveyard, is producing a variety of agricultural products being irrigated with sewage water. According to health experts, vegetables produced through the filthy sewage water could cause a number of fatal diseases.