SHC seeks report on action against encroachments on nullahs
The hearing was adjourned until a date to be later notified by the office
Sindh High Court building. PHOTO: EXPRESS
KARACHI:
The Sindh High Court (SHC) directed the federal, provincial and local authorities to file their reports, explaining the action they have taken to clean and remove illegal encroachments on all the storm water drains that may devastate the metropolis during rains.
A division bench, headed by Justice Irfan Saadat Khan, issued notices to a senior member of the Board of Revenue, the heads of the six district municipal corporations and chief executive officers of all the cantonment boards in Karachi, the Defence Housing Authority (DHA), the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) and the Sindh Industrial Trading Estate (SITE) to file their comments by the next date of hearing.
The bench was hearing an application filed by a public interest litigant, Rana Faizul Hasan, who had approached the court, seeking directions for the provincial and local authorities to clean the drains and clear them of encroachments.
Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) land encroachment department senior director Muhammad Bilal Manzar filed his report, stating that the corporation’s chief engineer for the natural drains had, in compliance with the court’s directives, conducted a survey of all such drains across the city and prepared a list of those on which encroachments exist. The list was submitted to the court. These were Zehri House nullah, Moachko nullah, Gujjar nullah, Orangi nullah, Picture nullah and Kalri nullah.
The director said that there are certain drains the KMC is not responsible for as they fall within the jurisdiction of the Sindh Board of Revenue, DHA, KPT, SITE and other cantonment boards. He requested the court to seek reports regarding cleanliness and removal of encroachments from these federal and provincial departments, cantonment boards and housing authorities, so that they also take action against the encroachments falling within their jurisdictions.
On Friday, the district municipal corporations of Central, South and West engaged their lawyers, Abdul Khalil, Mirza Saleem Akhtar Baig and Zaman Khan.
The bench directed the added respondents - the Board of Revenue, SITE, DHA, KPT and the cantonment boards - to file their comments within 15 days. Meanwhile, notices were also issued to the district municipal corporations of East, Korangi and Malir to file their comments. The hearing was adjourned until a date to be later notified by the office.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 8th, 2015.
The Sindh High Court (SHC) directed the federal, provincial and local authorities to file their reports, explaining the action they have taken to clean and remove illegal encroachments on all the storm water drains that may devastate the metropolis during rains.
A division bench, headed by Justice Irfan Saadat Khan, issued notices to a senior member of the Board of Revenue, the heads of the six district municipal corporations and chief executive officers of all the cantonment boards in Karachi, the Defence Housing Authority (DHA), the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) and the Sindh Industrial Trading Estate (SITE) to file their comments by the next date of hearing.
The bench was hearing an application filed by a public interest litigant, Rana Faizul Hasan, who had approached the court, seeking directions for the provincial and local authorities to clean the drains and clear them of encroachments.
Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) land encroachment department senior director Muhammad Bilal Manzar filed his report, stating that the corporation’s chief engineer for the natural drains had, in compliance with the court’s directives, conducted a survey of all such drains across the city and prepared a list of those on which encroachments exist. The list was submitted to the court. These were Zehri House nullah, Moachko nullah, Gujjar nullah, Orangi nullah, Picture nullah and Kalri nullah.
The director said that there are certain drains the KMC is not responsible for as they fall within the jurisdiction of the Sindh Board of Revenue, DHA, KPT, SITE and other cantonment boards. He requested the court to seek reports regarding cleanliness and removal of encroachments from these federal and provincial departments, cantonment boards and housing authorities, so that they also take action against the encroachments falling within their jurisdictions.
On Friday, the district municipal corporations of Central, South and West engaged their lawyers, Abdul Khalil, Mirza Saleem Akhtar Baig and Zaman Khan.
The bench directed the added respondents - the Board of Revenue, SITE, DHA, KPT and the cantonment boards - to file their comments within 15 days. Meanwhile, notices were also issued to the district municipal corporations of East, Korangi and Malir to file their comments. The hearing was adjourned until a date to be later notified by the office.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 8th, 2015.