Defying orders: Illegal constructions continue on greenbelt with official blessings

The land has been leased to a private company for five years.

KARACHI: Construction work on the greenbelt on the main road in front of Hyderi Market is still taking place despite the commissioner's directives to immediately stop the 'illegal' activity. The idea was to establish a 'wind room' to promote alternative energy sources.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, Karachi Commissioner Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui said that the district municipal corporation's (DMC) officials would be answerable if the construction work at the median was not stopped immediately.



"We have contacted the local bodies' secretary and apprised him about the issue," said Siddiqui. "No one is allowed to raise such illegal constructions or violate the law in any part of the city."

For his part, district Central's deputy commissioner Dr Saifur Rehman said that he had received the orders from the commissioner's office and subsequently directed the DMC administration to stop work.

The minister for local bodies, Sharjeel Inam Memon, admitted that he was aware of the wind energy room project and would demolish it in the same manner as other encroachments in the city.

The minister lamented, however, that the media did not identify the real people behind the project.

"MNA Rehan Hashmi is constructing this wind energy room and the media has not mentioned his name in any of the reports," he alleged.

Memon told The Express Tribune that a committee had been formed to investigate the matter and a crackdown against the encroachment will be initiated soon.

Meanwhile, district Central administrator, Kamal Mustafa, who is authorised to allow or deny such constructions, admitted that the district municipal corporation had granted permission to the MNA to build the project.

"The whole project is being developed under DMC rules and regulations while the MNA is helping with the funds," he claimed.

"The island is DMC Central's property and we have neither allotted the land nor leased it to anyone. It is just an awareness project and will be developed under the bylaws."

The construction work, according to Mustafa, is being carried out by the DMC's own employees. Contrary to Mustafa's stance, after the publication of the first news item regarding the illegal construction, The Express Tribune received an email from a private company, Art Vision, which claimed that the DMC had given it the land for five years to build the project.

The email states that, "In context to the subject matter, we would like to bring to your knowledge that with the formal approval of DMC Central, we have initiated the development work on the park on adoption-basis."

The company's director and project incharge, Musaddiq Ali Baig, told The Express Tribune that Art Vision had been leased the land by the DMC Central on a five-year contract. "The DMC administrator, municipal commissioner and all the other office bearers have granted permission for the project." He went on to claim that the park was meant to educate the people on the benefits of alternate energy and would serve as an initiative for school children.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 3^rd, 2014.