Marine Beach Walk project starts departmental feud

KPT, KDA both laying claim to the land that the multi-billion rupee entertainment project is being built on

KARACHI:

Departmental tussles are not an alien concept in the country, often they impact multi-billion rupee projects; and the same seems to be happening to the Peoples Marine Beach Walk project.

The entertainment project, which was launched last year, between the Hyperstar Store, Clifton, and Dua Chowrangi on the Sea View Beach road, at a cost of about Rs 3 billion, has become the source of a dispute between the Karachi Development Authority (KDA) and Karachi Port Trust (KPT).

The KPT claims that the land which is being used by the KDA for the project, which will be a 100 ft-wide 1.5 kilometre long road featuring a walking track, play land, restaurants, and water sports, belongs to them and that the KDA is encroaching onto their domain.

In this regard, an officer of the KPT privy to the development, told the Express Tribune under the condition of anonymity that while in the past KPT had been giving land to KDA for development works but this time around KDA had unilaterally claimed ownership of the land and started the project without taking permission from KPT.

“When KPT inquired about the land being used for the project, KDA could not produce the required land documents,” the officer informed. When asked to confirm the official’s claims, KPT’s General Manager Legal, Dost Baloch, told the Express Tribune that the land in question belonged to the federal government but it had been handed over to KPT.

“KPT is the custodian of this land and KDA does not have the requisite documentation for the land,” Baloch asserted. “We have held several meetings with KDA’s officers and proposed that this conflict about ownership of the land can be resolved with the help of the staff of the Survey of Pakistan, which will have the maps and documents. However, the KDA officers did not agree,” added Baloch.

When asked about any steps that the KPT had taken to establish ownership of the land, Baloch replied that the department had stopped the development work on the project twice and if the KDA were to start development work again, the department would shut it down once more.

On the other hand, Tariq Naseer of the KDA, categorically refused the KPT’s claims, while talking to the Express Tribune about the project. “This land belongs to the KDA. In principle, the KPT's boundaries lie within the sea, not on land. KPT is making unjustified claims on the land, which are easily refutable as we have all the required documentation,” said Naseer.

When asked about the development work being stopped by the KPT, Naseer conceded that it was true that the department had stopped the development work two or three times and seized the KDA’s dumpers.

“Despite this situation KDA is continuing development work on the project. However, the work has been slow as of late because contractors have not been paid on time. We are trying to get the bills paid so that development work can resume at full speed,” assured Naseer.

While it remains to be seen which department will eventually win the dispute, Muhammad Toheed, an urban planner based in the city, feels that the project as a whole is detrimental for the environment of the city.

“There is no environmental impact report of the project on the website of Sindh Environment Protection Agency, nor has there been any public hearing in this regard,” remarked Toheed while talking to the Express Tribune.