LAHORE - Was there any government agency to check the unabated flow of gypsies population in the provincial metropolis? The answer is no. The gypsies and nomads have swarmed into the city to such an extent that the major housing schemes like Johar Town, Jubilee Town, Defence Phases IV, V and VII, Sabzazar, Bund Road, Thokar Niaz Beg, WAPDA Town, Shahdara, Mehmood Booti and a number of private housing schemes on Raiwind Road are now the permanent habitats of these population. A careful estimate says that their population is not less than half a million in the approximately 10 million population of the city. This means every 19th person in the city is nomad. They usually come from remote areas particularly the less developed districts of Southern Punjab in search of better living. As they are unskilled and do not know any trade, they indulge in crimes and beggary. Thus, they are posing multiple political, social, health and environmental problems for the society. First, they live in make shift houses built of straws and worn-out cloth unable to withstand the wrath of oppressive weather of acute summer, winter and rain. They never use the lavatories, nor have any facility to bath, kitchen, electricity, gas etc. They are source of pollution, environmental hazard and dirt in the city. The unhygienic and unprotected living cause health hazard to such a large population and is burden on the health infrastructure in the city. Moreover, many communicable diseases, like skin, cirrhosis, chest infection, hepatitis and flu etc emanate from these localities and spread in epidemic form. The habitat of make-shift houses do not have any identity cards, domicile or registration documents etc and thus are unscrupulous people. They do not have any religious belief or practice etc. The population marred with ignorance, hunger and disease is prone to indulge in crimes like thefts, purse snatching, kidnapping, terrorism, traffic rules violations and assaults on persons etc as they easily escape from the eyes of law enforcing agencies. A careful investigation revealed that half the extent of crime can be averted if this population is shifted out of the city. It is a scar on the face of Lahore and a major hurdle to the policy planners who wanted to make Lahore, a Paris. The nomads usually keep a donkey cart for their movement. According to an estimate 100,000 donkey carts without any registration belonged to the gypsies who can be seen moving on any road along with the entire family and children. The nomads have encroached upon the open plots of LDA scheme. Some of them have built huts with bricks. Unscrupulous persons and land grabbers engage them to occupy open land by deploying them at the plots. According to another survey, ninety per cent of gypsy' population is engaged in the menace of beggary. The menace has left wrong imprints on the face of historic city, known for its beauty, institutions and gardens. The gypsies' population to an alien depict destitute, lethargic and poverty hit society of Lahore. The shine is faded with the beggars swarmed on important crossings, shrines, mosques, public places, bus terminals, railway stations, educational institutions and busy city roads. They pounce on the vehicular traffic at the traffic signals. Women holding their infants and bare footed children create an ugly scene on the roads while the beggars are not needy or poor. They use different costumes and ragged clothes to draw sympathy of the philanthropists for seeking alms. Yet another ugly picture of the population is drug addiction. These localities are source of drug trafficking and addiction as Police have no access on them.. Yet another menace of over population and population growth is attributed to these dwellers.A survey of these localities revealed that the gypsies have large families of 10 to 14 children, all bare footed and naked loitering here and there. They are never sent to schools, nor they need proper clothing and food.