Court intervenes: KMC told to remove encroachments from rainwater drains

KARACHI:

The Sindh High Court (SHC) has instructed the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) to not permit any encroachment or extension of sewer lines and rainwater drains in the city.

Chief Justice Mushir Alam, who headed the bench, passed this direction during hearing of a petition seeking removal of encroachments and cleaning of rainwater drains for the monsoon season. The petitioner, Rana Faizul Hasan, had gone to the court, complaining that several rainwater drains, rivers and sewer lines had either been encroached upon or closed down. He alleged that the KMC authorities did not bother to remove the encroachments erected unlawfully.

According to the petitioner, these illegal constructions were erected on the lands of Malir River, Gujjar Nullah and Songal Nullah that carried domestic and industrial waste from different areas, including Abul Isphahani Road, Sindh Secretariat, Orangi, Defence View, SITE, Ibn-e-Sina Road, Urdu Bazaar and Manzoor Colony. Owning to these encroachments and choking of drains, the rainwater paralyses life in the city and damages its infrastructure every year, he stated.

On Thursday, KMC’s lawyer Sultan Ahmed requested for time to file his comments. The judges directed KMC authorities to remove encroachments from all the rainwater drain and submit a compliance report by the next date of hearing.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 24^th, 2013.