Mubarak Village, a beautiful virgin beach lies some 30 kilometres from Karachi bordering with Gadani Balochistan,
Mubarak Village, a beautiful virgin beach lies some 30 kilometres from Karachi bordering with Gadani Balochistan, where the centuries old, second largest fishing community of more than 10,000 people still awaits to connect with the modern world.
Despite that the village has been in existence since before the advent of the British rule, it lacks all the basic facilities, including health, education, water, electricity, gas, sewerage, and most importantly, a jetty or a pier to anchor their boats. Fishing is their only source of income and sustenance and the lack of a jetty takes its toll on their daily lives.
Sarfaraz Haroon, a resident and local community worker of Mubarak village said, “We have been living in the dark ages with no facilities and are facing a lot of problems. But one of the major problems which the local fishermen face is the lack of a jetty or pier where they can anchor their boats and load-unload their bounty.”
He asked for the government to take necessary measures and to construct a jetty that is vital to reduce a lot of their woes. Even though fishing is one of the main sources of income for the local residents, during the high-tide season, they have to abandon their activities.
Mubarak Village houses the second largest fishing community, but with no pier to anchor boats and offload catch, fishing activities are suspended for almost four months during the high-tide season. This affects the livelihoods of the locals, who depend on the activity for most of their sustenance.
“In the absence of a jetty, boats bob around in the water and during high-tide, bump into each other. This damages and destroys the boats,” another community worker Aziz said.
Counting facts, Aziz said that the fishing industry in Pakistan is one of the sources for earning export revenues. “Fish and fishery products valued at $117 million were exported from Pakistan,” Aziz said.
Mubarak village is located along the shores of the Arabian Sea, with a population of more than 10,000. The major economic activity in the village is fishing, followed by construction and community, social, and personal services.
These neglected fishermen, whose forefathers had been living here for nearly 200 years, lack all basic amenities.
Haroon added the village is still without any healthcare facilities. The residents have demanded the government to set up a maternity home in the area.
Although a dispensary was constructed in the village in 1996, and recently a maternity home was also established, both lack appropriate medical facilities. Moreover, despite persistent demands by the people, no medical officer or staffs have been appointed at the maternity home so far.
Therefore, there are no arrangements for dealing with emergency cases, particularly those pertaining to maternity, Haroon added.
The villagers said that in cases of an emergency they had to take patients to the hospitals in Karachi. In serious cases, they added, patients mostly died on their way to the hospital.
Interestingly, a ‘Model Village Project’ was announced by Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah in 2009. He had announced that Mubarak Village will be developed on modern lines and even the construction work began, but suddenly all the works were halted midway. Nearly 40 percent of the development work was completed which can provide the village with all the required facilities. Unfortunately though, the stipulated funds for the project were stopped, putting an end to the envisioned progress of the village.
At present Mubarak Village presents a primitive colony look, being without sewerage, electricity, and road infrastructure, Haroon alleged.
The Sindh chief minister had also announced to lease the houses to the fishermen, but only 10 percent of the residents received the official papers.
Another project was to expand Mubarak Village dam and construct a harbour, but it still remains a distant dream for the locals.
Fishermen demand that the government should resume construction work on the incomplete projects so the village can at least have access to the basic amenities.
The writer is a staff member
