Can Peshawar Reclaim the Lost Fragrance of Gul-e-Dawoodi?

News Desk 

Peshawar: Once celebrated as the City of Flowers, Peshawar was known for the fragrance of Gul-e-Dawoodi, Mughal-era gardens and shaded parks where families gathered and children played amid greenery and laughter.

Today, that image is steadily fading. Overflowing garbage, stagnant water, air pollution, unchecked encroachments and a crumbling sanitation system have begun to eclipse the city’s historic charm, posing serious risks to public health and environmental sustainability.

During the Mughal era, gardens such as Wazir Bagh, Shalimar Gardens and what later became Jinnah Park symbolised Peshawar’s cultural and natural heritage. These once-vibrant spaces, filled with colour and fragrance, now show visible signs of neglect.

Encroached pathways, muddy grounds, dust-filled open areas and pools of stagnant water have replaced scenes of leisure and greenery. Residents blame rapid and unplanned urban expansion, weak municipal services, leaking and rusted water pipelines, and poor waste management for the steady deterioration of recreational spaces and residential neighbourhoods alike.

In congested inner-city areas, uncovered drains emit foul odours, while aging pipelines spill contaminated water into streets and homes. In densely populated localities such as Kohati, Gunj, Khalasa, Hazarkhwani, Lateefabad, Faqirabad, Ejazabad, Mathra and Peshtakhara, sanitation problems have become part of everyday life.

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Safdar Baghi, former Nazim of Nothia Jadeed, described the situation as increasingly unbearable.

“The stench from open drains and stagnant water caused by leaking pipes makes daily life miserable,” he said, adding that years of neglect have exposed residents to serious health risks. According to him, access to safe drinking water and replacement of outdated pipelines should have been prioritised long ago.

Medical experts warn that poor sanitation is directly linked to the spread of diseases. Dr Malik Riaz, a medical officer at Government Hospital Pabbi in Nowshera, said unhygienic conditions provide fertile ground for illnesses such as cholera, diarrhoea, typhoid and polio.

“With urban populations expected to rise sharply over the next two decades, government hospitals—already overstretched—will face even greater pressure if sanitation issues remain unaddressed,” he cautioned.

Urban planners and environmental experts argue that Peshawar’s sanitation crisis is rooted in unchecked urbanisation. Professor Dr Salimur Rehman, former chairman of the Environmental Sciences Department at the University of Peshawar, noted that the city’s infrastructure was never designed to absorb the scale of population growth it has experienced.

“Between 1951 and 2017, Pakistan’s urban population increased by around 33 million,” he explained. “Sanitation systems simply could not keep pace with this influx.”

He stressed the need for comprehensive urban planning, better allocation of funds, capacity-building of municipal staff and long-term investment in sewerage systems and wastewater treatment plants.

Professor Dr Shafiqur Rehman highlighted the environmental hazards posed by open dumping of household and hospital waste, warning that poor disposal practices threaten not only human health but also animals and aquatic life.

“The lack of proper dumping sites, particularly for medical waste, is a serious concern,” he said, pointing to international models where solid waste is recycled to generate energy—an area where Pakistan has yet to make meaningful progress.

Despite the grim picture, officials say some initiatives are beginning to show results. Mian Javaid, Director of Sanitation and Board Member of the Sarhad Rural Support Program, said sanitation is a nationwide challenge that requires collaboration between government institutions, communities and development partners.

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As part of a pilot initiative supported by the Netherlands Embassy under the IR&G programme, sanitation improvement schemes were launched in Swabi district. In villages such as Aliabad and Muslimabad, sanitation kits were distributed, low-cost latrines constructed and drains developed, benefiting thousands of residents. Hygiene awareness sessions reached nearly 95,000 people.

In Peshawar, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has provided sanitation machinery worth approximately Rs 413.5 million to the Water and Sanitation Services Peshawar (WSSP), including mini dumpers, excavators, loaders and waste containers. Eleven semi-urban union councils have also been brought under WSSP’s operational domain.

Officials said a 12-year Municipal Services Programme, supported by USAID at a cost of USD 44.6 million, has improved access to clean drinking water, sewerage and waste management for nearly two million residents. The project included replacement of old water mains, rehabilitation of drainage lines and selection of a designated dumping site at Pandu for hospital waste.

Under the KP Clean and Green Initiative, plans are also underway for modern waste treatment plants, expanded sewerage networks and public toilets in high-density areas.

Experts, however, stress that government action alone is insufficient.

“Media, civil society and religious scholars must play an active role in raising awareness about hygiene and sanitation,” said one expert, noting that cleanliness is not merely a civic duty but a collective responsibility.

For many residents, the hope is simple—to walk through cleaner streets, drink safe water and see flowers bloom again without the constant shadow of disease. The City of Flowers may be wilting, but with sustained effort and collective will, its fragrance has not yet been lost.