Illegal stalls and ‘chappar’ hotels are spreading diseases by selling unhygienic edibles especially in front of hospitals of the federal capital.
The establishment of illegal stalls in front of main gates of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) and Polyclinic spoke volumes for the apathy shown by Capital Development Authority (CDA).
Unlawful tea stall owners and several encroachers are selling unhygienic juices, mineral water, tea and bread at high prices as compared to market rates. No rate list is displayed by any stall holder, which is the complete defiance of the rules. A stall holder Amir Hayat told this news agency, some of the businessmen rented out the area to vendors for setting up fruit and vegetable stalls, barber shops, roadside ‘chappar’ hotels and tuck shops.
A patient at the hospital said that keeping in view the security situation; the stalls are a constant security threat. He said that the hospital administration has decided to shut down the two entry points of emergency department which has been creating trouble for the patients. However, a visitor Professor Shafeeq Ahmed expressed his concerns over the health hazards the vendors pose to the community. He added that the encroachers being poor have nowhere else to go.
When contacted, CDA official said, “The CDA had earlier removed many of the encroachments in the park outside the gates of the hospitals. After a while all the encroachers have returned and restarted their businesses”.
He said that the authority is fully aware of the situation and will take concrete measures on immediate basis to get rid of them.