By Dr Ansab Ali | Lahore, Pakistan

HAFIZABAD: Deputy Commissioner Hussain Bahadur Ali Shah has assured residents that cleanliness in streets and drains across the district, including the Municipal Committee Sukheki Mandi area, will be improved within two to three days.

He gave the assurance during a visit to Sukheki Mandi while speaking with prominent social worker Abdul Shakoor Gujjar, who highlighted the problems caused by heaps of garbage and stagnant water in drains.

Abdul Shakoor Gujjar informed the deputy commissioner that poor sanitation had made life difficult for residents. He said accumulated waste and stagnant water were spreading foul odours and creating favourable conditions for mosquito breeding, posing risks to public health.

During the visit, the deputy commissioner inspected the under-construction monument at Chowk Sukheki, located along the Lahore-Sargodha Road, Sukheki-Hafizabad Road and Sukheki-Jalalpur Bhattian Road. He directed the relevant officers to ensure the early completion of the project.

He also visited the Maryam Nawaz Rural Health Centre in Sukheki Mandi to review the availability of medicines and other medical facilities. He sought feedback from patients regarding the provision of medicines and treatment services and inspected the firefighting equipment at the health centre.

The deputy commissioner further visited the Municipal Park, a girls’ higher secondary school and the police picket at Kot Sarwar Motorway Interchange.

During his inspection of the Municipal Family Park, he reviewed the available facilities and directed municipal officers to take steps to improve them for visitors.

Municipal Public Library Remains Closed

Meanwhile, the Municipal Public Library in Sukheki Mandi has reportedly remained closed for several days due to a lack of attention from the District Education Authority Hafizabad, depriving residents, students and researchers of access to library services.

According to local residents, the library was originally established in the Municipal Committee office. However, following the introduction of the district government system, it was transferred to the Education Department along with other municipal assets.

Several years ago, during reconstruction work at the Municipal Committee office, the library was shifted to the Market Committee office, where its books were reportedly stored in a room. Subsequently, the District Education Authority relocated the library to a room in the Government High School Sukheki after considering various locations.

Residents said the facility had now remained closed for an extended period because of the lack of attention from the relevant authorities.

Rana Muhammad Iqbal and other citizens have urged Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif to establish a new library building adjacent to the high school on Railway Road, Sukheki Mandi, in a centrally accessible location.

They also called for essential facilities, including a computerised catalogue, furniture and proper lighting, as well as the digitisation of library resources to help readers easily search for and access their required material.