n the heart of Lahore, a battle rages on as the city struggles to reclaim its streets from encroachments.

In February this year, following the orders of the Lahore High Court (LHC), the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) and the Metropolitan Corporation of Lahore (MCL) launched an anti-encroachment drive on nine major roads in the city. The roads where the operation was conducted included the Main Boulevard, Allama Iqbal Town (Wahdat Road to Scheme Mor via Dubai Chowk); Zahoor Elahi Road, Hali Road and MM Alam Road in Gulberg; the main roads in Mustafa Town, Jubilee Town, Garden Town (from Kalma Chowk to Faisal Town), Johar Town (Doctors’ Hospital to Expo Centre) and Township (Khokhar Chowk to Hamdard Chowk). Additionally, several other city/ town areas were to be cleared of unwanted structures.

However, three months later, things are much the same as before. The LDA and the MCL have come under fire for their failure to address the issue, leaving major city roads and marketplaces to put up with encroachments. These encroachments not only cause inconvenience to commuters and visitors but also pose other problems for the general public. For Ahmed Khan, a frequent commuter on Madina Road in Township, it’s a “daily ordeal.”

He adds, “I used to take this route to my workplace, but now it’s become a nightmare. The road is narrow as it is, the encroachments have made it worse. It takes me twice the time it used to, just to navigate through the mess.”

Encroachments in the form of illegally put up kiosks, pushcart vendors, and parked vehicles routinely cause traffic snarl-ups and congestion. Ghayas Malik, the owner of a shop on Lower Mall, recounts the challenges faced due to the encroachments outside his store. “Customers find it difficult to park their cars,” he tells TNS. “The cluttered sidewalks deter the pedestrians from visiting my shop. It’s affecting my business all right. Sadly, the authorities seem indifferent to our plight.”

Encroachments not only impede the flow of traffic but also lead to increased air and noise pollution, posing health hazards for residents of the area as well as the visiting public.

Rapid urbanisation and population growth are other factors that have created an environment that is ripe for encroachments to flourish. To quote Qaswar Abbas, a town planner, “People move here from all over the country because they believe that Lahore is a land of opportunity. However, they end up living in unregulated settlements, which may be demolished by the authorities.”

“People move here from all over the country because they believe Lahore is a land of opportunity. However, they end up living in unregulated settlements, which may be demolished by the authorities.” — Qaswar Abbas, a town planner.

In other words, a high demand for affordable housing and limited regulation has resulted in the unauthorised expansion of settlements that encroach upon public spaces. Moreover, lack of comprehensive urban planning has led to the proliferation of illegal markets and street vendors that exacerbate the problem.

espite sporadic efforts by the local government to check encroachments, the issue has persisted. Critics argue that the LDA and MCL drives have yielded little or no success. When some structures are demolished, they often reappear shortly afterwards, reflecting a lack of comprehensive planning and follow-up measures.

This can be attributed to a variety of factors — for instance, insufficiently strict enforcement, political motivations and limited resources.

In some cases, the encroachers are found to have connections with the city’s influential elite. This makes it hard for the authorities to pin them down. Muhammad Ali, a government official, explains: “Removal of encroachments is a challenging task. Some encroachers have powerful connections which often makes it difficult for us to go ahead with the plan. We also have resource constraints and legal hurdles that slow down the process.”

On the other hand, many of the encroachers are vulnerable beings seeking livelihood opportunities or affordable housing. “I have no choice but to sell my goods in the streets; I need to feed my family,” says Ahmed, a fruit vendor whose cart occupies a significant portion of the sidewalk on Madina Road. The removal of their dwellings raises concerns about their welfare, causing a moral dilemma for the authorities.

Abdul Rehman, a street vendor at Barkat Market, sounds a similar concern: “I don’t have any other means to support my family. The authorities should provide us with designated spaces where we can go about our business legally.”

Balancing the needs of the encroachers with the public’s right to unobstructed roads remains a challenge. According to Abbas, a piecemeal approach is not appropriate. “The authorities need to adopt a holistic strategy that looks at urban planning, alternative livelihood options for the encroachers and a robust enforcement. If the root causes are not addressed, the problem will persist,” he says.

The writer is a media veteran interested in politics, consumer rights and entrepreneurship