Malir District


Malir District is an administrative district of Karachi Division in Sindh, Pakistan.
Malir District was abolished in 2000 and divided into three towns namely:
On 11 July 2011, Sindh Government restored again Malir District.
Malir has been regarded in history as the countryside of Karachi City due to its open atmosphere and lush green farms, but now these are no more. Before the independence of Pakistan, there were small villages of Sindhi and Kalmati Baloch in the Gadap Town and Malir Town of modern Karachi. Now both towns are developed as the suburbs of the city because of the urban sprawl.
Malir was once famous for its fruit and vegetable farms; but, now due to severe scarcity of groundwater, these farmlands are being converted into residential areas, thus increasing urbanization and environmental degradation. The Society for Conservation and Protection of Environment has been concerned about drought and desertification in Malir district and has launched a campaign against illegal sand and gravel mining in dry river beds of Malir and its tributaries. Because sand and gravel mining cause lowering of ground water, as rainwater can cannot percolate in the aquifer. SCOPE is developing rainwater reservoirs in drought affected rural areas.

Demographics

There are several ethnic groups in Malir Town including Sindhis, Punjabis, Muhajirs, Kashmiris, Seraikis, Pakhtuns, Balochis, Brahuis, Christians, Memons, Bohras, Ismailis, however Sindhi and Baloch form majority in the town. Sharfuddin Shah Wilayat was a Sufi master in Malir neighbourhood of Malir Town.

Epidemic of mysterious Chikungunya virus

Due to pollution, mainly resulting from garbage dumps and overflow of sewerage water, Emergency declared in Malir Town, as thousands of patients were affected by mysterious Chikungunya virus in December, 2016. Despite joint denial by WHO and Health Ministry of Pakistan, Provincial Government of Sindh discloses that aedes aegypti mosquito is responsible for spreading Chikungunya in the area.