KARACHI: Very dense population in the old areas of the megacity has resulted in a rapid suburbanization but in a haphazard manner, creating immense problems for the Karachiites, said Pasban Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman Altaf Shakoor here Sunday.

He said suburban sprawl in Karachi is very rapid and new villages and shanty towns are being established in every direction outside the main limits. However, these rural and shanty setups are without any basic facilities like education and healthcare and their residents have to visit the main city areas for these purposes, creating overcrowding to these facilities. He said the three major government hospitals are always overcrowded due to very high patient load, mostly from rural and suburban localities.

He said public transport is another factor that is badly missed in the suburbs of the megacity.

Altaf Shakoor demanded that the housing section of Karachi should be taken care of. He said for decades the government has not given any major housing scheme to the citizens, especially the low income families.

Altaf Shakoor said the Hawksby Scheme-42 of the Lyari Development Authority (LDA) has been only on paper despite passage of almost two decades and its allot tees are now disappointed as the government is not taking any effort to begin development activities there. He said similar is the case of other government housing schemes.

He said housing and property sector has become a mega mafia, devouring trillions of rupees of the Karachiites.

Altaf Shakoor demanded to streamline the suburbanization process in Karachi by purging KDA, LDA and MDA from corrupt bosses. He said these Authorities should be asked to do development work instead of taking salaries for doing nothing. He said these departments are mostly filled with the political workers of previous coalition ruling parties of Sindh and they don’t discharge their official responsibilities. He said there should be a strong check and balance system in such public service departments to facilitate the masses.

He asked the government to open new hospitals, schools and colleges in the suburbs and provide them with all basic facilities like electricity, gas, water, streetlights, paved streets and drainage systems. He said a systematic suburbanization is in the interest of the megacity as it would lessen the pressure on downtown areas and bring a sigh of relief for the Karachiites.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024