KARACHI: More than 10,000 people from other cities of country come to Karachi every day for employment, which always puts pressure on this city, Administrator Karachi Barrister Murtaza Wahab said. Promise of jobs and prosperity, among other factors, pulls people to cities, talking to 49th Specialized Training Programme and 25th Command Course officers of Police Department visiting KMC Head Office.

Urban areas can grow from increased human populations or migration into urban areas, which in turn puts pressure on resources, he said.  Human activities such as burning fossil fuels and industrial waste, also increase environmental pollutants that can affect the health of people, flora and fauna, he said talking to 49th Specialized Training Programme and 25th Command Course officers of Police Department.

“Infrastructure needs to be further improved. If government work is stopped, problems arise. Sindh is only province where no one, including Chief Minister and Cabinet is allowed to allotment of land.

Honourable court banned land allotment, which is causing problems to citizens of Karachi,” administrator said. He said that Karachi is a mini-Pakistan and that people of all languages and sects live here. He said that Karachi has different problems and its funding needs are more than other cities.

Wahab said that collecting municipal utility tax through electricity bill would put KMC, largest local body in Pakistan, on its feet. “No one has any objection if K-Electric collects licence fee of Pakistan Television, but when same organisation collects municipal utility tax for improvement and development of city, some elements oppose it for political gain. We have not implemented a utility tax, but it has been effective since 2009. We have further reduced utility tax so citizens can pay easily,” administrator added.

He said that people working in developed cities of world do not increase population pressure on city but live on outskirts of town and after travelling for several hours, they come to cities for work.

 “Unfortunately, people in Pakistan prefer to live in hub of cities and they try to park their car in front of their office,” he said.Administrator said that KMC has control over only 27.4 percent land of city, still, name of Karachi Metropolitan Corporation comes to minds of citizens for execution of all municipal affairs.

Published in The Daily National Courier, November, 10 2022

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