KARACHI: Like rest of the city, open-air burning of garbage has become a common practice in Karachi University (KU), where a number of teachers have recently complained about it to the administration.

Speaking to Dawn on Wednesday, the teachers said that the problem was getting worse with each passing day as the administration was yet to realise the gravity of the situation.

`It`s a major nuisance on the campus that has the potential to turn into a disaster. Twice fire was lit near my house, apparently to dispose of the garbage piling up there for months. But, this practice continues unabated all over the campus,` said Dr Qadeer Mohammed, a senior KU teacher, adding that the vice chancellor had also been informed about it in writing.

According to the teachers, trash is often burnt on Sundays, which compounds their misery. `Our entire house was recently filled with smolce when someone set heaps ofgarbage onnrein the surrounding area. We got extremely worried and tried to call the relevant staff but no one picked up the phone,` said another teacher on condition of anonymity.

The elderly, small children and people with respiratory ailments suffered the most in such condi-tions, she said.

`Besides, there is a dire need that the administration develops a proper sewerage system for the university.

Sources said that there were at least two garbage-fire cases last Sunday that spread scare on the campus while last year the administration had to call fire engines to put out the fire.

`Such fires can easily get out of control on the campus that has extensive growth of wild flora, said another teacher.

Sharing concern over burning trash in the open, Dr Shamsul Zafar Iqbal, senior ecologist and professor at Karachi University Institute for Environmental Studies, pointed out that the practice carried serious environmental and public health hazards as trash and garbage emitted substantial amounts of poisons and toxins into the air.

`In principle, trash must not be burnt anywhere. But, if one has to, garbage should be burnt far away from populated areas,` he said, regretting that the practice was common all over the city.

Upon contact, KU registrar Dr Moazzam Ali Khan said that the recent cases of garbage-burning would be taken up on Thursday.

`The university had banned burning of garbage on the campus through a notification issued months ago. At that time, some sweepers were also caught found involved in the malpractice.