Karachi: After five years, no sign of food street on Burnes Road

[LahoreEstate]

Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Karachi

Housing a large number of eateries that offer a variety of local cuisines, Burnes Road is yet to be converted into a proper food street despite the fact that an announcement was made by the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) some five years ago.

In July 2005, the transport and communication department of CDGK had a meeting which decided to formally give Burnes Road the status of a food street, while similar decisions were also made in other meetings, but to no avail.

Talking to PPI, City Naib Nazim, Nasreen Jalil, said that converting Burnes Road into a food street is currently not on the priorities of the city government. “There are many hurdles in this regard including traffic, parking and security problems. The officials of the CDGK are presently busy in rehabilitating the gutted shops in Boulton Market and other areas of M A Jinnah Road,” she explained.

A resident of the area, Shamim Hashim, complained that the area has become congested and noisy due to a huge amount of traffic. He said that lack of proper sanitary conditions is another problem faced by the residents and visitors. “Many owners of eateries have encroached pavements and about one-third area of road, making life hard for both, motorists and pedestrians. However, the traffic police and town administration do not take this issue seriously,” he lamented.

Meanwhile, a representative of the Anjuman Shopkeepers Burnes Road Faisal said that the janitors of the CDGK sweep the road only in morning, which was not sufficient to maintain cleanliness in the area, adding, “Many elite class families now do not visit Burnes Road now owing to poor sanitary and hygienic conditions.”

He explained that the shopkeepers had made alternate arrangements for cleaning the area on a self-help basis. “If the government provides us any relief, then we will repay the charges indirectly in form of taxes,” he said.

Faisal said that the government’s plans to establish a food street at Burnes Road is nothing more than a hollow promise as no budget has been allocated for this. He added that if the government sincerely extends its support to shop owners of Burnes Road then it would be possible to convert this place into a colorful food street. He said that this place is only given attention temporarily when festivals like “Hamara Karachi” are celebrated.

Talking about the security issues, he remarked, “The government failed to provide security to wholesale markets of M A Jinnah Road, that were burnt in arson attack last month, where daily turnover is in billions of rupees. How could one expect it to provide proper security to Burnes Road?”

“Setting up a food street at Burnes Road would certainly add to the beauty and cultural diversity of the city. However, it needs serious commitment and work instead of tall claims and hollow statements,” he suggested.


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