The court was told by the petitioner that the mangroves in Kakapir village, Keamari Town were being cut down illegally in violation of the national and international laws. PHOTO: FILE
The Sindh High Court has ordered the Board of Revenue’s (BoR) secretary and inspector general of police to take action against their staff who allowed land grabbers to encroach upon the land along the seashore by ruthlessly cutting the mangroves in Kakapir village, Keamari Town.
The Lyari Development Authority was also told on Wednesday to produce the documentary record regarding the essential approval obtained from the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency for carrying out development work in the LDA Scheme 42.
The Pakistan Fisherfolk Development Organization, a non-profit body working for the welfare of the fishermen community, had gone to the court against the ruthless cutting of the mangroves in Kakapir Village near Sandspit.
It had named Zulfiqar Younus, a former nazim of UC-4 (Baba Bhit Island), his eight accomplices, Sindh home secretary, DIG West, Keamri Town police officer, Karachi Port Trust, Mauripur SHO and the Sindh Board of Revenue as respondents.
According to the petitioner, the private persons were actively involved in illegal cutting of mangroves which is a violation of the national as well as the international laws that ensure protection and preservation of the fauna and flora. It had therefore pleaded to the court to restrain the accused from the illegal practice.
Earlier in 2011, the court was informed that the original petitioner Abdul Ghani was shot dead by land grabbers after he approached the court. In the same year, the SHC’s Nazir had conducted physical inspection of the site and submitted his report, which noted that several premises on the seashore were built freshly with masonry blocks. The Nazir reported that the debris of erased mangroves was also found dumped at the site.
Discussing the report on Wednesday, the judges ordered the concerned SSP to ensure removal of encroachments with the help of the anti-encroachment force.
The board of revenue was also ordered to collect Google map of the area of from 2010 onwards to see the original seashore and the settlements around the encroachments. The department was further directed to take action against its own vigilance staff, who over looked such rampant encroachments.
The bench also ordered the Sindh IGP to take action against the local police who facilitated the encroachers.
Abdul Rahman, a senior lawyer appointed as Amicus Curiae, pointed out that the development work being carried out in the Scheme 42 involved removing the mangroves and thus, are threats to the ecology.
The court ordered the Lyari Development Authority, Karachi Commissioner and Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) to file their comments regarding the development exercise.
LDA was also ordered to produce the record of essential approval obtained from the SEPA for laying down the water and sewerage line at the cost of the environmental degradation, which needs to be protected. The judges directed Sarfaraz Sulehri to continue to appear in the court to protect the interest of the Karachi Port Trust.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 6th, 2013.
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