Wedding halls built on residential plots razed

Gulberg residents express joy over relief from noise, rush, and pollution

KARACHI:

Over a dozen marriage halls located in a residential area of Gulberg have been demolished during the night between Thursday and Friday by the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) officials.

The authorities claimed that notices were issued to the owners of the halls several months ago, but they went unanswered. The final notice was then issued, after which the halls were subsequently demolished.

According to reports, the SBCA staff, along with heavy machinery and a contingent of anti-encroachment force, local police, and rangers, reached the spot and took action against 14 marriage halls established from Water Pump Chowrangi to Cafe Piala in the Gulberg on Thursday night.

According to DC Central Taha Saleem, the action was taken on the orders of the Supreme Court, and it is aimed at addressing the issue of illegal marriage halls. Six months ago, notices were issued to the marriage halls’ owners, but they failed to comply despite receiving notices. The flow of traffic was also adversely affected due to these illegal marriage halls, and waste from wedding halls was being dumped into the sewage system, causing damage to the sewage system of the area.

The operation was carried out by SBCA and anti-encroachment staff, while heavy machinery was used in the operation. However, initially, the personnel had to wait until late night as there were wedding ceremonies going on in some of the halls.

Meanwhile, the area residents have expressed their relief, saying that the government should have taken this step 15 to 20 years ago. They said that the noise pollution from the wedding halls, including the bursting of firecrackers and gunfire, was causing significant problems for them and their children. The parking of cars by wedding guests in the streets was also causing significant inconvenience to the residents.

Moreover, residents of the area also demanded that coaching centres, schools, CNG filling stations, shops, marketing, and other commercial activities running on the street where marriage halls were established should be abolished in the same way.

Waiters working in the marriage halls expressed their concern, stating that they had become unemployed due to the collapse of the marriage halls. They demanded of the government to provide them jobs.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, May 13^th, 2023.