Over the years, the programme’s focus has been changed to one of awareness-creating and supporting Karachi to become an eco-city....
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In 2000, an initiative was launched by Heritage Foundation in order to create awareness of Karachi’s unsung wealth of heritage at the time. Over the years, the programme’s focus has been changed to one of awareness-creating and supporting Karachi to become an eco-city.
Recently, Dr Yasmeen Lari, CEO Heritage Foundation of Pakistan, held a street get-together with Karachiites from all walks of life, at Denso Hall Rahguzar (Walking Street). The objective of getting the motely gathering together especially at Rahguzar, a model eco-enclave in the heart of the busy congested city, was to call Karachiites to take ownership and join hands to transform Karachi into a humanistic eco-city, and to witness first-hand the huge possibility and potential of such an eventuality.
The event was hosted by Arif Bahalim, a founding member of Karavan Karachi who welcomed all the guests and after a brief introduction invited Shanaz Ramzi, director Heritage Foundation and founding member of Karavan Karachi, to give her welcome address.
A documentary created by Ramzi and Arif Bahalim on Karavan Karachi and its achievements was then shown to jog the memories of those present on the events that had taken place in 2000 to celebrate Karachi as a historical city. The core Karavan group comprising Yasmeen Lari, Shanaz Ramzi, Arif Bahalim, Shaha Tariq and Afroza Bhamani were then invited on stage to share their memories.
This was followed by an introduction to Humanistic Eco City by Yasmeen Lari, placing Karachi on the map of Eco and Heritage Cities of the world. She then made an impassioned call for active participation in the metamorphosis of Karachi and launched the concept of ‘Meri Gali Mera Sheher’, a community mobilisation programme to develop ownership of Karachi. She showed a slide presentation highlighting the pathetic state of the city – urban degradation, urban heat islands, urban flooding – and loss of heritage, fad with multi-storeys, depicting a complete lack of ownership. She then introduced projects such as Kharadar Chowk development, Nullah near PSO House: Protoype Aquifer drain + green spine, and Ranchore Lines – eco street for greening Mohallahs that could be undertaken to transform the city. She also offered pro bono design services by Heritage Foundation to achieve these goals. Her words resonated with the attendees, igniting a spark of hope and determination in the hearts of all present, and many registered on the spot for some kind of volunteer work to help salvage the city.
-You! desk
