KhAdim Durrani Quettawaal
Reading news items like the one given below is becoming a very commonplace whereby people express their concerns about Quetta roads and streets being flooded by the overflow of wastewater from the open drains or from the so-called non-existent sewerage system that often gets clogged up by the solid wastes. It is with that issue in mind and with the arrival of 22nd March, a date when World Water Day is celebrated, that I have made an attempt to highlight the present situation relating to the lack of safe water and poor sanitation in the Quetta Valley. Continue reading ‘The sewage & buried seweRage system of Quetta’
According to news reports today on 25 February 2010 a pregnant woman in Quetta who was being taken in a rickshaw to a city hospital gave birth in the same rickshaw because the Airport Road was closed due to President Asif Ali Zardari’s visit. They were stopped at Askari Park section of the same road and despite their pleas with the security forces they were not allowed to continue their city-ward journey. Continue reading ‘Quetta: yet another baby is born in a Rickshaw!’
khAdim duRRani Quettawaal
Thirty seconds at Quetta is a book for anyone who is from Quetta or is interested in its history; most importantly it’s about the aftermath of the deadly earthquake of May 31st 1935 that razed Quetta and other earthquake stricken areas to the ground, killing between 30 and 60 thousand people and injuring thousands more. Never has this devastation been more vividly told than in this riveting, movingly fascinating book. It is also about a sub-chapter in the history of British colonial rule – a time when a large community of Indian migrants were living in Quetta! Furthermore, it highlights the historical setting of British military and civilian bureaucracy that was running the affairs of the region from its administrative seat in Quetta. Continue reading ‘Thirty Seconds at Quetta: a belated book review!’
khAdim duRRani Quettawaal
Today is May 31st, which is the day when 74 years ago in 1935 Quetta was razed to the ground by a destructive earthquake. Though some Quetta based newspapers put out special editions on this occasion and rarely a seminar or two are held as well, often in the city’s only posh hotel or, since late, the Geological Survey of Pakistan (GSP) has been organising special programmes at its premises. In any event, the number of people who attend such seminars/programmes is very limited while the general public find out about the taking place of such events only through the next day’s newspapers. Other than that, at the provincial government level, not enough is being done or special campaigns run to involve more and more people so that the general public not only learns what happened 74 years ago but also get the opportunity to learn about how to get prepared and be ready to cope in case ‘The Big One’ strikes! Let’s not forget Quetta lies in an active earthquake zone.
To find out more about 1935 Quetta Earthquake, please click here
To view photos of Quetta of pre-1935 Earthquake and of a Quetta destroyed by the earthquake, please click here
khAdim duRRani Quettawaal
Every year May the 18th is observed as the World Museum Day and surely today the museums from around the world are actively celebrating this day, raising awareness and consciousness on the role of museums in their respective socities and the importance and the need for preserving our global heritage. Continue reading ‘The World Museum Day and the ‘Quetta Museum’.’
Khadim Durrani Quettawaal
Quetta is one of those unfortunate cities where no one is willing to own it and look after it. About two million people live in this city; every one, from politicians to administrators, claim they will reclaim Quetta’s past of pre- 1935 earthquake when it was known as a little Paris or a little London, at least the proud locals think this way. Today the landscape is totally different: our Quetta is over crowded, chaotic, dusty, and dirty and some places stink. Continue reading ‘The Public Toilets!’
Khadim Durrani Quettawaal
It was a beautiful summer evening in Quetta, the sun was slowly vanishing behind the mountains of Murree-Brewery and the dusty western horizon was getting redder and redder. We, a few friends, as part of our evening walk were strolling on the streets (there are no footpaths) wanting to escape from the cumbersome city ambiance in order to get to the northern part of the city in the cantonment area to enjoy the open space and fresh evening breeze that blew from across the mountains that surrounded our city from all sides. Continue reading ‘Rahim Jaan, the coal miner and the doctor!’
Khadim Durrani Quettawaal
The traffic system in Quetta is such that no distinction is made between humans, animals and the machines; they move side by side and cross each others’ paths erratically. The news about the traffic jams are frequently reported in the local newspapers. The situation is so chaotic that people get frustrated with the inability of the authorities to do something about it! Continue reading ‘Introducing QueTraffic: a draft proposal about changing driving attitudes!’
Khadim Durrani Quettawaal
Habib Naala is one of the three man made perennial streams that divides Quetta city and the cantonment area. It gets flooded during heavy rainy seasons. Since it doesn’t rain most of the time, therefore very often people dump their household rubbish Continue reading ‘The battle for the control of Habib Naala: Police raid on the drug addicts of Habib Naala’
Quetta city is in fact a vast valley surrounded by sedimentary rocks (limestone) of mainly Jurassic age. Without these barren and beautiful mountains Quetta would not be what it is today and Quettawaalaas would not behave the way they do today as the kind of (natural) environment we live in has a direct bearing on our psychological and social development.
Continue reading ‘Excavation of mountains around Quetta’
From Jang online: Saturday, July 21, 2007, Rajab 04, 1428 A.H
Khadim Durrani Quettawaal
Perhaps Quetta is the only place in Pakistan where its inhabitants are labeled by the discriminatory sticker of local or non-local! Continue reading ‘Local or non-local?’
Khadim Durrani Quettawaal
Actually a few weeks ago I had written about NGO mafia and the way they operate in Pakistan, making millions of rupees at the expense of poor communities. Unfortunately due to lack of education and information the poor communities are unable to defend their interests. The article is quite long and can be boring for some of you but many people I have spoken to find themselves in agreement with many points raised therein. In the best interest of our communities and to prevent a few thugs from actively abusing public funds and resources, we must educate our communities by discussing this issue in each and every forum – public and private. The article you are going to read simply seeks to achieve this very objective i.e, raising awareness.
Continue reading ‘NGO Mafia’
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