Residents of Karachi are distressed due to the piles of animal waste scattered across the city, leading to foul odors and health concerns. In response to complaints, PTI Sindh President and former Opposition Leader, Haleem Adil Sheikh, visited various areas of Karachi to assess the situation.Speaking to the media, Mr Sheikh expressed his dismay, stating, “Today is the third day of Eid, and animal waste are strewn everywhere with no one to collect them.”
He questioned the expenditure of the Solid Waste Management’s Rs18 billion budget, highlighting the ineffectiveness despite both Solid Waste Management and the Karachi Mayor being under the control of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). “Karachi has turned into a garbage dump,” he lamented.Sheikh pointed out that prior to Eid, a claim was made that 154,000 tons of animal waste would be disposed of, but Mayor Murtaza Wahab reported only 68,000 tons collected.
“The remaining 86,000 tons are still lying in the streets,” he added.Sheikh criticized the inadequate number of collection points, with only 99 for a city of 25 million residents, spread across 7 districts and 25 towns. “How can the city be cleaned with just 99 collection points?” he asked, noting the spread of diseases due to the stench from the waste.He further alleged that KMC, town, and Solid Waste staff are more focused on extracting fat from the waste rather than disposing of it.
“Instead of discarding the remains, they are collecting fat,” he claimed. Sheikh demanded accountability for the Solid Waste Management’s 18 billion rupee budget, arguing that neither the Sindh budget provided for Karachi nor did it ensure cleanliness.
Before Wahab’s tenure as mayor, Karachi was cleaner, Sheikh asserted, accusing the PPP of making Karachi the sixth dirtiest city in the world. He concluded by stating, “It’s the third day, and there is no one to collect the waste. Citizens are forced to dispose of it themselves. The Sindh government must answer for its enmity towards Karachi.”
