Pakistan: Government neglect turns Karachi's Liaquatabad into toxic dump

Karachi [Pakistan], December 10 : Residents of Liaquatabad's FC Area in Karachi are enduring suffocating conditions as the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board (SSWMB) continues to neglect its responsibilities, allowing a vacant plot near the Government Lal Girls Secondary School to become an informal dumping site, as reported by The Express Tribune.
According to The Express Tribune, garbage began piling up in the open plot nearly a month ago when SSWMB workers allegedly started unloading waste there. Despite numerous complaints by locals, the trash has not been removed, creating unbearable stench, breeding grounds for insects, and thick smoke from occasional fires. The situation has turned life miserable for hundreds of families, students, and worshippers at the adjoining mosque.
Residents stated that those with respiratory problems and asthma have been the hardest hit. The growing trash heap poses not only environmental but also safety risks. The crisis escalated on Tuesday when the garbage caught fire, the second such incident in recent days, spreading toxic black smoke throughout the area and forcing people to stay indoors.
"This plot has practically turned into a garbage mountain. Our children go to school beside it, and we offer prayers next to it. The authorities have left us helpless," one local stated. A Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) fire tender reached the site after the fire broke out and managed to control the blaze before it could spread to nearby bushes or the school building. Officials confirmed there were no injuries, though they warned that any delay could have led to a disaster, as cited by The Express Tribune.
The residents have once again appealed to the SSWMB managing director to urgently clear the site and take steps to prevent future dumping in the densely populated neighbourhood. The continuous inaction, they said, reflects the government's disregard for public health and civic welfare, making Karachi's waste management crisis even more alarming, as reported by The Express Tribune.