KMC initiates anti-encroachment campaign across city

The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) has launched a campaign against encroachments in all the districts of the city.

KMC inspectors are being deployed in every town as the city administration and KMC will jointly conduct operations against encroachments. Karachi Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab held a meeting in this regard on Friday and chalked out a comprehensive strategy under the court orders for the removal of encroachments.

This operation is not aimed at making citizens jobless but a proposal to allocate space for hawkers in every district is under consideration so that the carts and kiosks could be shifted there.

Karachi Commissioner Syed Hasan Naqvi, KMC Municipal Commissioner Afzal Zaidi and all deputy commissioners of the city attended the meeting, in which the mayor said that all encroachments would be removed from MA Jinnah Road, Saddar, Regal Market, Mobile Market, New MA Jinnah Road, Bohri Bazaar and other areas of District South.

All the deputy commissioners gave a detailed briefing about encroachments in their area. The District Central deputy commissioner said that in his district, there were a lot of encroachments around the Hyderi Food Street in North Nazimabad Block H, Landikotal Chowrangi, Sindhi Hotel, Hussainabad Food Street, Allahwala Chowrangi North Karachi, Liaquatabad Number 10 and Supermarket.

Besides removing the encroachments, he said, plans would be made in consultation with the traffic police to ensure a smooth flow of traffic on these roads.

The deputy commissioner of the District South said that there were problems due to encroachments around MA Jinnah Road, Saddar, Regal Market, Cooperative Market, Bohri Bazaar, and Lea Market, whereas traffic flow was affected due to parking of vehicles on New M.A Jinnah Road.

The deputy commissioner of District West said there were problems due to encroachments under the Banaras flyover in his district. He added that there are encroachments around Orangi Town No 10 and the Qatar Hospital that had to be removed.

The District Keamari deputy commissioner identified Sher Shah, Manghopir Road and other localities where encroachments were a major issue. He said that instead of planting trees outside factories in the SITE area, the factories had earmarked those spaces for parking of vehicles.

He said that efforts would be made to turn those spaces green. The meeting was also informed about encroachments on Tariq Road, Samama Shopping Centre, Pehelwan Goth and other areas of District East.

The Karachi commissioner said a proposal to impose the Section 144 against blocking roads without permission was under consideration and it would be implemented soon. A joint strategy would be adopted for the removal of encroachments in the city and no encroachments on Sharea Faisal would be tolerated, he added.

The commissioner also pointed out illegally parked rickshaws on the road between Lasbela Chowk and Gurumandir, due to which traffic flow was affected. “The concerned association should be approached for solving this problem,” he said.