The Sindh government has decided to launch a grand operation against encroachments, illegal buildings and water thieves in Karachi from Tuesday, May 31.
The decision was taken at an important meeting chaired by Sindh Chief Secretary Dr Muhammad Sohail Rajput at the Sindh Secretariat on Friday.
Rajput said indiscriminate action should be taken to end the encroachment and police and Rangers officials will support the district administration. He said that Karachi commissioner would monitor all the operations and file a report in the review meeting chaired by the chief secretary on every Friday.
The meeting was attended by Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, Commissioner Karachi Muhammad Iqbal Memon, Home Secretary Saeed Ahmed Mangrejo, Local Government Secretary Syed Najam Ahmed Shah, MD Water Board, MD Malir Development Authority, Deputy commissioners of Karachi division and representatives of Police and Rangers.
Nasir Hussain Shah said that legal action would be taken against the land grabber mafia and punishments would be meted out. The Sindh government will provide alternatives to the occupants of buildings declared dangerous.
The meeting was briefed on land grabbing, water theft, illegal and dangerous buildings of Malir Development Authority (MDA), Karachi Development Authority (KDA) and Lyari Development Authority (LDA) in the city.
Board of Revenue, Sindh, officials informed the meeting that as many as 5,000 acres of land of MDA was under illegal occupation by land grabbers in the West district of the city. They further said that people have been forewarned about the operation through an advertisement in leading newspapers.
Officials said that they have completed the geo-tagging of encroached land.
Meanwhile, officials of Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) informed the meeting that 6,000 buildings are being constructed illegally in the city at present and 21 buildings in the city have also been sealed so far.
They further said that the authority has declared 545 buildings in Karachi city s dangerous and these structures could crumble and fall causing loss of life and property. Nasir Shah said people evicted from dilapidated buildings should be given alternative accommodation.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 28th, 2022.
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