As Pakistan’s population crosses psychological barrier of 250 million this year, the resulting demographic pressure has begun to weigh heavily on urban centers, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The swelling population coupled with poverty and unemployment has created a complex web of challenges for urban resources and infrastructure, especially for an influx of migrants flocking to cities in search of better opportunities.
With the rapid pace of urbanization and lackluster policies of the government, KP’s urban services are already under stress. Housing shortages, inadequate educational and healthcare facilities, inability to provide clean drinking water and efficient transportation have become pressing concerns for residents’ especially in big cities.
The problem further exacerbated by unplanned housing societies mostly on agriculture lands in Peshawar where demand for jobs continues to soar, further compounding the issue.
This unchecked urban growth is not just a logistical concern but poses a serious threat to social and economic stability. As poverty levels rise, and essential services become increasingly overstretched, the region also faces growing food security challenges.
A visitor might have been unnerved after inhaling foul smell of contaminated water and garbage of drainage channels while moving in Peshawar’s interior areas including Kohati, Gunj, Khalasa, Hazarkhwani, Lateefabad and Faqirabad. “Leakage of stinky sewerage water from pipes and uncovered drainage channels in these areas exposed residents to different ailments,” said Suliman, a resident of Ganj Peshawar. “Wazir Bagh and Mughal era gardens were marred by waste and encroachment as mounting traffic pressure has badly polluted the city atmosphere.”
Although the government is spending huge funds to address urbanization related sanitation issues and population growth, a lot was still needed to provide safe drinking water and replacement of leakage water pipes to avert health hazards like hepatitis, polio and cholera.
Professor Dr Zilakat Malik from University of Peshawar has also seen basic amenities like housing, schools, hospitals and sanitation under great stress to absorb increasing load of migrants to Peshawar.
During 1951 to 2017, he said, the urban share of country’s population had increased manifold with number of people migrating to cities from villages every year increasing to around 750,000 exerted extra pressure on socioeconomic services in mega cities.
“One major reason for stressed amenities was unmanaged urbanization by concerned authorities and control sprawl of illegal housing societies in major cities,” Dr Zilakat said.
In next 15 years, he said about 55 percent of the population would shift to urban areas thus exerting more pressure on socioeconomic, housing and infrastructure services. “Around 2.5 million additional houses are required for people in KP with this demand increasing 1.1 million new units annually over next 14 years.”
Ikhtair Wali Khan, Coordinator for PM on Information for KP Affairs has also seen rapid urbanization negatively impacting Peshawar’s environment where air pollution could be seen with a naked eye while standing in Jinnah Park due to bulldozing of green belts for ill planned BRT and non-shifting of brick kilns and marble units from Peshawar’s peripheries.
“BRT’s ill-planned corridor has created traffic mess in Peshawar forcing many motorists to break Iftar on roads,” he said. “Lack of car parking in shopping malls, beggars’ influx, shortage of basic amenities and poor drainage system has unnerved the citizens.” He said the PTI Government has neither fulfilled the promise of a uniformed education system nor has constructed five million houses and construction of 350 mini dams in Khyber Pakthunkhwa.
Hassan Khan, spokesman of Water and Sanitation Services Company said sanitation services mostly in informal settlements are affected due to construction of unplanned large buildings and other infrastructure.
“We alone are expected to do everybody’s bit. Keeping cities clean is a shared responsibility of civic bodies and residents. Therefore, blaming us for others’ follies is unjust,” Hassan Khan said.
He informed that work on a 12-year Municipal Services Program worth USD 44.6 million with assistance of USAID was completed to provide nearly two million residents of Peshawar, clean drinking water, waste management and improved sanitation services.
Under the project, he said 140 clean drinking water facilities serving 448,000 people, replacement of 25,700 meters of old and rusted water mains, ensuring clean, reliable water supply in 21 union councils and rehabilitated sewerage and drainage lines to improve sanitation for 1.7 million people has been achieved. Moreover, he said, this project also ensures more efficient solid waste collection and disposal with improved municipal waste management services including 575 vehicles and establishment of a repair and maintenance workshop for waste management equipment.
Meanwhile, Junaid Diyar, Project Director 10 billion trees program said urban forestry was being promoted to combat air pollution in big cities like Peshawar and Malakand. “Around 2.4 million saplings were planted on 2300 hectares land at Agara Malakand while 3.2 million plants at Ghari Chandan Peshawar.”
Experts believe there is dire need for structural changes in institutions with technical, legal and regulatory support for appropriate urban planning and strict enforcement of laws to counterbalance negative effects of urbanization. Since politicians, media and religious scholars have a pivotal role in influencing masses’ therefore they need to come forward to educate people in resource conservation and keeping our cities clean in wake of rapid urbanization.
