Articles and letters may be edited for the purposes of clarity and space. They are published in good faith with a view to enlightening all the stakeholders. However, the contents of these writings may not necessarily match the views of the newspaper.
Pending promises
Karachi went through an unusually difficult summer in 2020 with both fuel shortage and power outages. The recent news that Karachi will experience prolonged load-shedding even in summers of 2021 due to gas-related issues is ominous for the citizens of Karachi who believed Federal Minister for Planning, Development, Reforms and Special Initiatives, Asad Umar’s promise of a load-shedding-free Karachi. With just five months left for the next summer spell to arrive, on behalf of all Karachiites, I request the Honourable Prime Minister and his team of expert ministers and advisors to ensure that no stone is left unturned in upholding their commitment.
Surely enough time has been given to all parties to devise a solution to Karachi’s issues – the people of Karachi have had enough grand announcements with little actual delivery – we deserve to know what concrete steps have been undertaken to solve Karachi’s infrastructure problems especially those related to essential utilities. It is not enough for our public representatives to merely assign blame after repetitive crisis; we the citizens expect them to proactively prevent these situations from developing.
SIRAJ MUNEER SOOMRO
Karachi
Devastating year
2020 was a devastating year for all of us. It was filled with many different catastrophes, may it be the wildfires in Australia or the ever famous pandemic that has killed a million people and still more are dying each day. Dozens have lost their loved ones and still, people are dying each day.
What the problem actually is that people don’t understand the severity of the situation. I went to buy some groceries with my mother yesterday and saw many people roaming with their kids without masks and even coughing or sneezing without a handkerchief or a tissue then going on about as if a pandemic isn’t on the loose. We can’t be sure if someone’s just under the weather or has contracted the virus. Now, a new mutated form of coronavirus is on the loose and people are still not taking this seriously. Just because the year has ended does not mean that the virus has ended. Only a week has passed and more than 10,000 people have died all over Pakistan due to this virus. I can’t stress enough that the pandemic isn’t over just because most people are over it. We need to wear masks, follow SOPs, use sanitizers and take precautionary measures to keep ourselves and the people around us safe. We need to fight this virus together until the vaccine is discovered and things start to get normal again.
SANA ANWER
Via email
Pollution hub
Pollution is the biggest problem of Hub city, like water pollution, air pollution and pollution of sewer water, garbage pollution and noise pollution. People are getting sick due to pollution. Hub city is home to factories and the factories emit lots of smoke and gases.
The city water supply system is also polluted and water is not potable. However, our city has no proper sewerage system. Installed sewerage lines are never cleaned, choked gutters and sewerage water playing havoc with the city. It seems that concerned authorities are not aware of all these problems that our city is facing for long. I request govt to pay attention to this issue and try to solve this.
FOZIA BATOOL
Islamabad
Water problems in Zimbabwe
It’s upset that locations in Bulawayo Pelandaba West, Iminyela, Mpopoma, Entumbane, Emakhandeni and Luveve have resorted to borehole water. I am very embarrassed that residents are now resorting to getting water from boreholes, open wells and begging in people’s houses in those suburbs where there is water. Residents from Magwegwe and Pumula now resort to driving or pushing pushcarts five kilometres to White City Stadium to get water from there. Bulawayo has been experiencing water shortage since last five year. It’s sad that boreholes and open wells being used are not accessible to people living with disabilities.
At all the observed water points, the majority of those collecting water were women and girls. Even in those areas where they were begging for water in people’s houses. The risks faced by women and girls in search of water include COVID-19 infection due to lack of observance of COVID-19 protocols and sexual abuse and exploitation in begging for water in unknown homes. While children have the responsibility of collecting water and assisting in household chores, the prevailing situation now borders on the violation of children’s rights especially considering that there is a very high risk of COVID-19. The government careless and reckless about health and the human rights of people are vulnerable. As a defender of human rights, I pile pressure to the organisation to make a plan about failure ofZimbabwean President Emerson Mnangagwa
KUDZAI CHIKOWORE
London
Dangerous flight
Flying kites is an important part of celebrating Makar Sankranti, the festival that marks the end of winter and the arrival of the warmer months. The tradition of flying kites is believed to have royal origins. With time, however, the activity has gained immense popularity and is now a favourite of the masses. But the string (manja) used to fly kites, can be fatal, especially for birds.
Manja is made by coating abrasive string with powdered glass and glue. Birds in flight fail to notice thin string and get entangled in it. When this does not kill them, it leaves them maimed and unable to fly. Manja also takes longer to decompose than ordinary cotton thread and stays on in the environment for a long time, putting other small creatures in danger.
JUBEL D’CRUZ
Mumbai, India
