Encroachments in Karachi began in 1980s, worsened under devolution plan, says CMA

Sindh’s chief minister on Wednesday said that Karachi is a megalopolis, and it has enormous problems, particularly encroachment of its lands, waterways and storm water drains, unplanned commercialisation of its roads, and improper development of its infrastructure, but during the past decade the government has started massive reconstructions.

“I’m sure our interventions in the shape of development of roads, flyovers, underpasses and storm water drains have produced some results, but the city still needs so much more.”

CM Syed Murad Ali Shah made these remarks while addressing a Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FPCCI) seminar, titled ‘The Importance of City and Regional Planning for Business Development, Commerce and Prosperity of the People of Karachi’, at the FPCCI House in Clifton.

Shah said urbanisation is a process of continuous increase in the number and size of both area and population of the city, where infrastructure for an improved quality of life is better organised compared to rural areas. He said that social and economic development has been the driving force behind urbanisation.

He also said that plans for urbanisation are introduced for the settlement of large populations to provide them a better quality of life and to restrain activities that may have a negative impact on the physical and social environment.

Shah said Karachi has a different story in terms of playing havoc with its infrastructure and other resources. “This mess started in the 1980s during a dictatorial government.” He said the era was the beginning of encroachment of vast lands of the city, and that it was a period in which a large number of squatter settlements had emerged.

He added that the devolution plan had aggravated the situation because the now-defunct city governments were given vast powers without making the Nazims (mayors) accountable. “The land revenue powers given to the Nazim resulted in unplanned allotment of lands on drains, natural waterways and even near important installations.”

The chief executive said that he was sorry but he could not bulldoze the houses in the squatter settlements to render thousands of people homeless.

“Yes, we’re planning to settle the people living in Katchi Abadis, because if we were to make these people homeless, they would settle somewhere else, so the issue would never be resolved in this way.”

He said that when he came into power, his government started constructing roads, flyovers and underpasses. “We have reconstructed Tariq Road, Sharea Faisal, Khaliquzzaman Road, Hub River Road, University Road and various other roads, along with storm water drains.”

He added that Karachi’s history shows that the Pakistan Peoples Party’s government in Sindh has constructed a large number of underpasses and flyovers in the city.

Shah said he had tried his best to reconstruct the dilapidated infrastructure of the city, and was now focusing on the project of the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR).

“We had gotten it approved under the regime of CPEC-related projects, but the previous [federal] government [of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf] had abandoned it,” he said, adding that he had again taken up the issue with the prime minister, and was getting the KCR included in the CPEC regime afresh.

He said KCR is the solution to the city’s transport system, but the provincial government has started some bus rapid transit projects and brought new buses into the city under the Peoples Bus Service.

Regarding the most recent spell of heavy showers, the CM said that the accumulated water had been disposed of after the rain had stopped. “Earlier, the city used to remain submerged. It means that we’ve done something, which is why the city is cleared when the rain stops.”

On the issue of solid waste management, he said his government had brought in Chinese companies for solid waste disposal in the city. “Now, compared to the previous years, the city remains clean and its garbage is lifted on time.”

He offered the FPCCI to join hands with his government in public-private partnership so that the city could be reconstructed with collective wisdom and through the combined resources available in the country.