FAISALABAD: An array of seven blocks of flats housing labourers and poor families in Islamnagar needs immediate repair for the walls and roofs of flats are under a constant water seepage.

A three-storey block has three apartments with 12 flats each, which means the locality has 252 flats altogether.

Rizwan Ali, a resident of the Islamanagar flats, says only a mishap in the flats will attract public representatives’ and government officials’ attention to rehabilitate the flats, which were constructed by the Punjab government four decades ago.

The residences were for labourers, and several original allotment holders have over the time sold them to other people.

Mr Ali said candidates for the recently held local council polls had assured them of the rehabilitation of the quarters, and one of them had claimed that Rs4.8 million had been allocated. Once the polls were over, the winning candidate failed to keep his words.

The locality has no proper garbage collection mechanism, making it a scene of dirt and disease.

Noorul Hasan, of Rehmanpura, said the flats residents would dump garbage in the open creating problems for the nearby localities as well.

Another resident, who only gave his first name, Raheem, said drug pushers had found the flats as their safe dens which opened the locality to addicts of the city.

Abdul Rasheed, another resident of the area, said flats were constructed by PPP leader the late Riaz Shahid, but their inauguration was performed in the Zia era.

The colony faces water shortage. Water tanks can be seen on the rooftop of each block, however, they remain empty.

Mr Rasheed demanded the government launch a survey to ascertain the status of flats and shift the residents to safer places, especially in the monsoon season.

PML-N MPA Haji Khalid Saeed did not respond for a comment.

Published in Dawn, July 2nd, 2016