Karachi: The primary school named after the freedom movement leader Maulana Shaukat Ali and its adjacent ground in North Karachi Sector No. 3 have been submerged in sewage water for several years, suspending all teaching activities. The playground has also turned into a filthy pond.
In addition to sewage from residential areas, wastewater from factories has been collecting in the playground for years, now turning green and emitting a foul odor.
The area has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes, flies, and other harmful insects, posing a severe health risk to the nearby residents.
According to local residents, the main road and drainage system of Ajmer Nagri were built higher than Sector No. 3, which left the area in a low-lying position.
Specifically, the Maulana Shaukat Ali School and ground are two to three feet below the main road, causing them to be submerged in sewage water.
The water board lines in Sector No. 3 are also leaking, and the sewage system is clogged.
Due to the low-lying nature of the area, sewage has accumulated in the school and playground.
Reaching Maulana Shaukat Ali Primary School requires navigating dangerous paths submerged in filthy water.
Access to the school surrounded by contaminated water has become nearly impossible, resulting in the school being locked, and teaching activities have been suspended for several years.
Residents report that illegal factories near the residential area have also diverted their wastewater lines into this ground, turning it into a swamp.Â
Despite multiple complaints to the Water Board, the Mayor of Karachi, and local representatives, no action has been taken.
The residents even proposed a solution involving installing a sewage line from this low-lying area to Kareela Mor, but no response was received.
The residents of North Karachi Sector No. 3 have been suffering from this issue for the past eight years.
Despite promises made during general and local elections, no concrete steps have been taken to resolve this severe sewage problem, even though the school was used as a polling station.
Local social activists warn that if the Mayor of Karachi and the Sindh government fail to improve the drainage system, they will rename the school and ground after the leaders of the ruling party in Sindh and the Mayor and Chief Minister of Karachi.
This action is intended to avoid disrespect to the followers of Maulana Shaukat Ali, as the current state of the school and ground tarnishes his legacy.