KARACHI - Despite the hundred-day cleanliness drive is coming to its conclusion today (Friday), without meeting its objectives, Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhter insists that it successfully met its targets.

The drive was initiated on December 1 in three districts of the metropolis, out of six by the mayor under the slogan of “Clean Karachi”.  Wasim had vowed to give a good and clean look to the three districts during these hundred days.

He had also pledged that he and his team would provide a clean environment within the limited resources.

Meantime, media reports repeatedly pointed out lack of work during the drive, but the mayor kept defending it and claimed that it was in full swing and was heading towards success.

Furthermore during the last 100 days, the mayor kept sobbing over the lack of funds and blamed Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) provincial government for creating hurdles in the municipal work of the city. 

Contrary to the media reports that the 100-day cleanliness drive had failed to deliver, Wasim, while talking to The Nation, boasted that he had achieved positive results.

“At the launch of the drive, and on various other occasions, I had clarified that drive was being carried out in selected union councils of three districts, Central, East and Korangi,” he said, and added, “I had not made any tall claims to turn Karachi into a heaven. The port city is no doubt in a miserable condition and the elected local government representatives despite small resources gave their best to make some of these union councils a model for the entire city.”

He further said that Karachi had remained neglected during the last eight years and the garbage produced in the past needed time and resources to be removed.

Narrating the progress on the drive, the mayor said that during the last 100 days, “We have done some useful work within limited funds and resources that includes the patch work on the roads, cleaning of parks, repairing of sewerage system and timely lifting of garbage from the respective union councils.”

“This all is apart from the other development works being in progress in the city,” he clarified.  

Drawing attention towards the apathy of the provincial government, Wasim said, Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah, during a meeting, had assured the local bodies of complete assistance during the drive and had even directed the Provincial Minister for Local Government to lend a helping hand.

“But in the end, what we witnessed is negligence,” he complained.

He informed that various proposals were submitted for the approval, and it was being expected that the CM would respond in this regard but nothing had been witnessed as yet. “This episode created an impression as if the provincial government was in no mood of taking key measures to resolve the issues of the country’s economical hub,” he regretted.  

To a query about the future strategy, Wasim said that the provincial government had not left any option for him and it had forced him to the move the courts. “I am going to file a petition in Supreme Court,” said Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhter, vowing to fight the case of Karachiites in the apex court.”

On the other hand, residents of the above- mentioned three districts have different views and rejected the claims of mayor about successful conclusion of the drive.

Residents of Korangi District said that Wasim and his team had failed to bring even a little change in the district as heaps of garbage were still witnessed at every corner of their area and the sewage also remained stuck on streets even on main roads.

Similarly, residents of district central said that KMC had only lifted 20 percent of garbage from their area, while various main roads remained in dilapidated condition while parks of the district had changed into garbage yards.

However, residents of several parts of District East have expressed positive views about the drive.

They said that the elected local government had responded to their complaints regarding municipal services despite limited resources.

 

 

 

Talha Makhdoom