Power politics leaves Karachi streets in darkness

KARACHI: Pakistan’s largest city, Karachi, is home to as many as 14.9 million people. There was a time when the metropolis was known as the city of lights for its vibrant nightlife. A decade ago the provincial capital was thought to be the fastest developing metropolitan city in the country, with its administration setting new standards of progress and advancement for other cities around the country. But just after a decade the city’s state of affairs present a completely different picture of what it once looked like. The political tug-of-war among its managers coupled with bad governance has left Karachiites holding the short end of the stick. Today, the streets of the country’s premier industrial and financial centre paint a gloomy picture of its future. Among the plethora of issues, such as heaps of garbage, sewage and much more, being faced by the residents on a daily basis is the absence of proper lighting on the city’s main thoroughfares. The city of lights has few functional lights — most of them remain on the blink due to a variety of reasons, adding to the countless miseries of Karachi’s residents. The street lighting provides numerous important benefits which include improved safety and security for the drivers, riders and pedestrians. Studies have shown that most crashes and fatalities occur during night time. Besides pedestrians and vulnerable road users suffer from decreased visibility in the dark.