[Un]protected heritage: Pedestrian bridge obscures DJ Science College façade

Shehri-CBE writes to provincial authorities to put an end to construction

KARACHI:

An under-construction pedestrian bridge outside DJ Science College is all set to obscure the façade of the building which is listed as Sindh's protected heritage.

The 134-year-old sandstone structure, named after Sindhi philanthropist from the 19th century Diwan Dayaram Jethmal, stands regally on Dr Ziauddin Ahmed Road. But the iron structure for the pedestrian bridge has dented the old college's majestic beauty. The bridge is meant to connect the AQ Khan block of the same college, which is located across the street.

To complain about this mistreatment, NGO Shehri — Citizens for a Better Environment wrote on Thursday a letter to the Sindh government, city commissioner and administrator, and Karachi Metropolitan Corporation's (KMC) transport and communication department, which is responsible for the construction of the pedestrian bridge.



The letter stated that the pedestrian bridge is being constructed with foundations being laid in the protected heritage site of DJ Science College. According to urban planner Farhan Anwar, the construction of the pedestrian bridge inside the iconic architectural heritage site of DJ Science College, will completely defile the heritage site, not only in terms of its visuals but also its spatial features.

According to the Sindh Culture Heritage (Preservation) Act 1994, the Sindh government has already declared the college as a protected heritage site. Since the building is listed in Karachi's heritage buildings, Anwar pointed out that there cannot be any construction inside the building premises according to the law. He feared that the 50-foot-high pedestrian bridge will destroy the visual beauty of the landmark.



Meanwhile, KMC's transportation and communication department's senior director Muhammad Athar refused to comment on the issue. Meanwhile, his deputy director Syed Muhammad Taha explained that they are constructing the pedestrian bridge on the demand of the college principal. He pointed out that there was a large number of students on both the campuses who need to travel across the street for classes. "The pedestrian bridge will only facilitate them," he said.

Taha insisted that the pedestrian bridge will not affect the visual beauty of the college. "The foundation of the pedestrian bridge is far away from the main college building," he said. DJ Science College principal Dr Muhammad Arshad said he made the request as, every year, more than 12 students die from road accidents on the main road outside the college. The staircase of the pedestrian bridge, according to him, is being constructed inside the premises of the college to facilitate the students only.

"We don't want outsiders to use that pedestrian bridge due to security reasons," he said, adding that the staircase has nothing to do with the beauty of the building. The pedestrian bridge is being constructed under KMC's annual development programme for the year 2015 and 2016 at a cost of Rs20 million.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 4^th, 2016.