Peshawarties suffer as offals of sacrificial animals block sewerage system in several areas
PESHAWAR (APP): Inspite of completion of three days of Eidul Azha, the operation of disposal of offals and solid waste of sacrificial animals have yet been completed in rural areas of Peshawar where its bad smell made negative effects on the lives of people.
The offals and solid waste thrown at water channels have blocked drainage systems at peripheries areas of Peshawar that caused standing of sewage water in streets affecting common man.
The scene is not very difficult to comprehend as the sewerage channels mostly blocked by offals had exposed the residents to various diseases. The residents of Chamkani, Tarnab, Pando, Afridi Ghari and others demanded of the WSSP to extend its operation to rural areas of Peshawar and complete it on priority basis.
Noorul Amin, a resident of Chamkani claimed that offals and solid waste of sacrificial animals have caused blockage of sewerage channels in city including Chamkani, Tarnab, Shahdhand, Ganj and Kohati mostly inhibited by low-income people and its clearance was required on war footing basis as the Govt and private offices would open on Thursday.
He said the residents of Shahdhand, Chamkani, Afridi Garhi and other rural areas that was neaer to somewhat beautiful, planned and affordable locality of provincial metropolis Gulbahar, is once considered unsuitable for living due to huge excavation for mud that was procured to brick kiln situated on Phandu and Kohat roads also complained about presence of offals and sold waste in open fields and drainage systems.
The rapid urbanization due to massive influx from suburban areas of the city and Afghans in the past led to multitude of problems including sewerage issues linked to numerous health hazards.
“When we had acquired house on rent at Shahdhand few years ago as it was less populated and the living environment was far better as compared to present situation that adversely affect its inhabitants owing to overflow of drainage water channels with bad smell everywhere in streets besides caused by offals,” said Bilal Khan, an employee of real estate agency while talking to APP.
“We were extremely happy due to the availability of all basic amenities including electricity, water, sui gas and good sanitation but are ill at ease due to the worsening sewerage system mostly blocked by offals these days.”
The situation has changed completely after the area became overpopulated due to an influx of people from suburban localities including erstwhile Fata and other tribal districts who made Peshawar their abode to find employment, schools and colleges, healthcare services and seek better economic opportunities for their loved ones, he said.
“ The main problem in our locality is continuously deteriorating sanitation conditions due to massive urbanization and inadequate sanitation services.” He said the rusted water pipes at Gunj, Kohati, Sikandar Town, Deh Bahadur, Nauthia Qadeem and Nauthia Jadeed had exposed Peshawarties to waterborne diseases and demanded for its immediate replacement.
“Poor sanitation and contaminated water caused by urbanization leads to different waterborne diseases including diarrhea, typhoid fever, cholera, dysentery and hepatitis A that may prove fatal especially for children and elderly citizens,” said Dr Malik Riaz Khan, senior medical officer, Govt hospital Pabbi Nowshera while talking to APP.
He said about 60 percent infant and children deaths were caused by diarrhea while cholera fatality rate is 25-5- percent and that in every 16th minutes, a person dies of hepatitis mostly due to drinking of unsafe water.
He said that Pakistan was the 6th most populous country in the world with 2% annual growth and investments in water and sanitation services are barely keeping pace in the wake of rapid population growth and cities’ extension.
The proportion of Pakistanis living in urban areas has increased substantially, from 17.7% of the population in 1951 to 36.4% in 2017 that created challenges of unmanaged urbanization and poor sewerage system.
Water and Sanitation for Urban Poor (WSUP) study has revealed that Pakistan was expected to have 15 cities with population of over one million people within the next 15 years, and by 2030 it is estimated that Karachi and Lahore’s population would reach approximately 28 and 15 million respectively with grave challenges of water sanitation and sewerage system.
“Another form of unplanned urbanization is mushroom growth of multi storey buildings in the provincial metropolis that also created water sewerage issues in Peshawar,” said Haji Sikandar Khan, a resident of Gulbahar.
He said these buildings lack sewerage mechanisms that cause overflow of water in street water channels besides entrance of flood water in houses or blocked by offals.
The encroachment in water channels was another form of rapid and unplanned urbanization creating sewerage problems, he said, adding the encroachment appears slowly with an imperceptible pace disturbing the already disjointed infrastructure of sewerage leading to a variety of problems.
The increased microbial contamination of sewerage caused by offals has made the situation worse and created health related hazards like typhoid, hepatitis and many gastric diseases, he said.
The experts said that there was a dire need to clear offals on war footings basis and minimize effects of rapid urbanization by devising a strategy with a focus to improve sewerage conditions.
Underlying the need to shift and dispose of the offals in remote areas of Peshawar, the experts said that great responsibility rest on each and every member of society to realize the gravity of situation and address issues emanated due to unplanned urbanization in already congested cities including Peshawar.
Officals in Local Govt department told APP that WSSP has almost completed its offals clearance operations in the assigned areas of Peshawar.
He expressed the hope that the entire operation would be completed by mid night today.
KP cities improvement project (KPCIP) has been launched to provide clean drinking water, congenial environment and quality sewerage services to people.
He said KPCIP was aimed at the redesign and reconstruction of the existing dilapidated drainage system that would significantly improve the management of sewerage and storm water and prevent flooding in cities of KP.
KP government with financial assistance of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Asian Investment and Infrastructure Bank was executing multiple projects including KPCIP in the five divisional headquarters of Peshawar, Mardan, Mingora, Abbottabad, and Kohat to modernize municipal services.
The project aims to enhance the livability and community health of the five cities through the construction of clean water supply treatment facilities, sewerage treatment facilities, and the rehabilitation of dysfunctional tube wells.
Asian Development Bank (ADB) had approved $385 million in financing for KPCIP.
An integrated waste management system would be established in big cities to ensure collection, safe transportation, segregation, and scientific disposal of solid waste in a sanitary landfill cell besides covering of waste water channels.
The projects will involve the installation of flow meters, supervisor control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems to ensure water quality and better sanitation services. He said existing rusted pipes would be replaced with leak-proof water supply lines and addressing the issue of water leakage.
He said the projects would focus on treating wastewater and utilizing it for irrigation purposes or returning it to water bodies.
Under the project, the rehabilitation of the British-era Lady Garden on modern lines will create a climate change-resilient environment and promote the well-being of the community.
The official said over 3.5 million people will benefit from improved access to clean water, reliable waste management and sanitation services, green urban spaces, and gender-friendly facilities.
