Controversial projects: DHA promises parks but delivers playgrounds

Residents claim they were not taken into confidence in the planning and building of projects.

KARACHI: A few residents of Defence Housing Authority (DHA) bought their plots in certain neighbourhoods because the map showed their houses will be located next to parks.

The plots on Khayaban-e-Hilal Phase VI and Street 16 Creek Vista allocated for parks, however, were used to build futsal playgrounds instead by the DHA.

A resident, Ali Athar, said that when his family was buying a house in the neighbourhood, they were told by the DHA that the empty plots of land had been reserved for parks. “It is good that the authority has utilised the plots as playgrounds and saved them from being appropriated by land-grabbers,” he added. “But they should have built the parks as promised.”

A boy, Hamdaan, who lives nearby, claimed that the older boys had taken over the playgrounds. “They play there every evening and we cannot enter,” he said. “If the plots had been turned into parks, families would have been able to visit them in the evenings.”

Another resident told The Express Tribune that DHA didn’t consult them before deciding to convert the plots into playgrounds. “The playgrounds are closed in the afternoons and it seems that only some privileged people are allowed to enter,” he alleged.



He also claimed that the boys using the playgrounds weren’t immediate residents of the area. “DHA’s residents were not invited to the inauguration ceremony and so many security forces had been deployed at the playgrounds that we couldn’t even watch the event from outside.” He requested the authority to demolish the facilities and build parks there.

The happy lot

The older boys, aged approximately between 18 to 22 years, were happy with the choice of utilising the plots as playgrounds. “DHA allows us to use the grounds free of cost,” said one boy. “If we had wanted to use the grounds in any other club, they would have charged us Rs15,000 or Rs20,000.”

Qasim Jehangir, who visited the site to play volleyball with his friends, felt that it was unfair to point fingers at the DHA. “These people just need someone to criticise.” Another man, Asharib, felt that the authority should convert all the empty plots in Defence into playgrounds. “If you visit any family living nearby, they would thank the authority for building them,” he said. He also claimed that families did visit the playgrounds in the evenings.

The honorary general secretary of the Association of Defence Residents, Azad Kazilbash, agreed that the land had originally been intended to be used as parks. “However, the residents didn’t officially register any complaints with us about it being used as playgrounds.” He added that as far as he knew, the playgrounds were open to everyone.

Kazilbash agreed that DHA didn’t consult the area’s residents while planning and building projects. “The people living in the area are its real owners,” said Kazilbash. “DHA should make committees responsible for getting their views before building any projects.”

A DHA official stated that the authority had made the playgrounds for the youth so that they could use their energies in a constructive manner. “DHA is committed to providing recreational, sports and entertainment facilities to its residents,” he said, adding that the playgrounds were open to everyone and were free of charge. “The people will be consulted and the matter will be resolved.”

Published in The Express Tribune, May 17^th, 2013.