At one time, Gizri was not a fashionable address. Today, it stands in the centre of the upmarket Defence Housing Authority and property rates here have multiplied several times. But the differences are stark. Unlike the DHA, the state of municipal care at Gizri is poor. And yet, people who can afford it flock to this locality, which was once a fishing village.
Most of the people here are middle and lower middle class employees and workers. In some ways it is the centre of activity but with a difference — unlike the DHA which surrounds it from almost all sides, this is a locality that is almost as old as Karachi itself.
People say that the word “Gizri” comes from the term “Guzz” which is Urdu means “yard.” Gizri was once famous for its stone - and in some houses even today once can see large boulders jutting out.
This stone was used, amongst other things, for making tombstones. A guzz (yard) of stone. And hence the name.
People from post partition days also remember Gizri for its “Ack-Ack School.” A military training school which has been converted today into the much beautiful Zamazama Park.
But all is not well in Gizri. Residents are facing severe problems with regard to sewerage disposal and shortage of water. Fifty per cent of the population does not have a supply of drinking water at its disposal and is compelled to acquire water by means of water tankers.
The sewerage problem is also one of the main concerns for area residents. There are some places where rainwater is still accumulated due to the heavy rainfalls that took place a few weeks ago.
Garbage disposal is another headache in this locality. Usually, residents discard their garbage at Hasan Zaheer Shaheed Road. And that is where it stays before it is picked up.
Gizri is a part of the Union Council (UC) 11, Kehkashan, Saddar Town. It has a population of around 25,000 people. It is commonly believed that this locality existed as far back as a hundred years ago. At that time, it was populated by a majority of fishermen.
The locality of Gizri is spread over 85 acres. The area is leased and was awarded to the locality in 1988. There are a total of 8,000 registered voters here. Pakhtoons and Punjabis occupy a large part of this area, whereas the Sindhis and the Brohi Balochis constitute the rest of the inhabitants.
Fishermen also live in this area. There is a place in Gizri named ‘Machhi Para’ where fishermen still reside today. Although they are the oldest inhabitants of this locality, their number does not exceed 3,000 people. Most of the fishermen of Gizri have migrated to Ibrahim Haideri, a fishing village on the outskirts of the city, after selling their land in Gizri.
Not very long ago, Gizri used to have an archaic feel to it. The residents used to live in huts and the overall environment was not very appealing. Now, however, it has emerged as one of the several modern areas of our metropolitan city.
One may also see a series of apartments here. Since this area is adjacent to the DHA, real estate values have risen dramatically.
In Gizri, a school called Ibrahim Ali Bhai accommodates eight different schools during different hours of the day. These schools are for both boys and girls. There is no government dispensary in the area. However, there is one maternity home here namely, the Gizri Maternity Home run by the City District Government Karachi (CDGK).
The UC Nazim, Ramazan Awan who is representing the people of this area in the local government body for the fourth time said that generally this locality is considered free of any ethnic or religious conflicts.
He then noted that there is a severe problem of manpower with regard to lifting garbage and managing sewage in the area. At present, only eight people are working to lift garbage, whereas at least 30 more are needed for this purpose.
“A while back the town administration asked me to nominate people who will be appointed as garbage lifters. I submitted applications for such individuals but nothing has materialised so far,” he said.
He then requested the Clifton Cantonment Board (CCB) to lift garbage from Hasan Zaheer Shaheed Road. He also said that there is only one pumping station supplying water to the residents and this was established in 1988.
Since then, the population of the area has increased at a great pace and one pumping station is no longer sufficient to serve the whole community. Hence, he informed, that another pumping station will be set up in the locality in the middle of Ramazan which will help improve the situation.
A fishing village turning into a major city centre is not always good news. The charm of Gizri, say its old residents, is now fading away.
