Residents of Bari Imam are facing health problems these days owing to the ongoing monsoon rains as they have to face the repelling sight and smell of overfilled garbage dumps and accumulation of water due to blocked sewerage drains. The Bari Imam residents, who live in the vicinity of the corridor of power, attribute their dilemma to the apathy of the authorities concerned who were reluctant to take responsibility.
The drains in the area were not only presenting an ugly image but also dispersed a foul smell in the localities surrounding the rainy streams.
The residents said that the bad smelling garbage was not their only concern as the blockage of drains had become a big problem in the monsoon season as most of the drains were filled with litter, thus making it well-nigh impossible for the rainwater to pass through. A resident of a slum at Bari imam recalled that once these sewers contained such pure and clean water that people would often jump into them during the hot summer season.
The drains were now being stuffed with garbage and litter. He said that Capital Development Authority (CDA) should clean these drains to avoid environmental and health problems during the rainy season. While talking to news agencies, a medical practitioner at the Polyclinic Hospital Dr. Sharif said that the bad smell could cause different kinds of diseases including malaria, adding that this situation also caused different environmental problems.
He said that the residents living in the surroundings of these drains must take safety measures to avoid the spread of diseases. Moreover, the unhygienic condition of the Bari Imam Market was keeping the shoppers away from the market, while vendors also found it hard to sell their products. Vendors were forced to use plastic covering to stop the roofs from leaking. The residents of the area said that the authorities concerned never visited the market to ensure a clean and healthy atmosphere.
He said that thousands of people visited this place and it was essential to keep it clean and beautiful. A shopkeeper at the Bari Imam market, said that the market was in a shabby condition and the authorities concerned should take stern action against the negligence of its staff.
A visitor to the market Mohsin Iftikhar said that the food restaurants and stalls which were operating in the locality were selling unhygienic food which gave rise to all sorts of health-related problems.
An official of Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Health Directorate said that they had raided the hotels in the locality and fined them for breaking the rules.
He said that they were monitoring all the markets to ensure the best food quality at these places. An official of the CDA said that the concerned staff of the civic body looked after the market and routinely visited the site. He said that the CDA was committed to keeping the capital and adjacent areas clean.
