There is something I have been witnessing in Karachi, especially in my area of residence, and that has been troubling me for quite some time now. Over the last few years, the city has seen a sharp rise in the trend of setting up of industrial plants and warehouses in residential areas. These activities continue to cause several problems for the residents of such areas.
First, such spots in residential areas attract unruly hordes that are a nuisance to the neighbourhood. The movement of commercial vehicles, along with loud conversations and shouting by labourers or other workers, is a source of discomfort to the residents, specifically in quiet towns and societies.
These people are often seen sitting outside their ‘workplace’, smoking, listening to loud music, and staring at women whether they are just passing by or standing in their balconies. Similarly, the workers and customers of these plants often park their vehicles in front of houses in the area, which unarguably disturbs the house-owners. Not only do these actions make the residents uncomfortable, they also upset the peace of the community.
While most locals forgo these hindrances to their daily lives, some actions are more severe and even go against the law. These may include the fact that some of these industrial/commercial activities are not even allowed in residential areas.
House-owners usually rent their property, or some portion of it, to these small-scale industries for personal benefit, i.e., an additional source of income. While doing so, official permissions and legal procedures are obviously ignored.
There have been many complaints in the city about this issue, and action has been taken to some extent. For example, in October 2020, the Sindh High Court (SHC) ordered the removal of all illegal reverse osmosis (RO) plants in Karachi. Nonetheless, such unregistered plants continue to secretly operate in the metropolis to date.
Another addition to the list of illegal activities is how some of these plant owners have even made unauthorised sewerage line extensions that cause overflow in residential areas and lead to sewage reflux in the houses.
Furthermore, damage is also caused to government property like roads and public parks; for example, the removal of fences and irons grills is common. In the case of RO and other water plants, the neighbouring houses also suffer from severe water seepage in their walls, which badly hurts their infrastructure. Some residents have also reported that these plants often suck up most of the town’s water supply, leaving close to no water for the residents.
The relevant authorities should wake up from their deep slumber to remove these commercial activities and residential areas so that citizens may have some relief in their lives that have already become miserable owing to several civic and other issues.
JAVERIA HASSAN
KARACHI
