The commercialisation of 20 major thoroughfares by City District Government Karachi (CDGK) has contributed most to the public sufferings in this megalopolis. These views were expressed by speakers at a seminar on 'CDGK's Commercialisation of Road Policy' held here at a local hotel on Friday.
In February 2004, CDGK had approved the change of land use and master planning bylaws-2003, allowing the commercialisation of 17 major roads in Karachi, while another three roads were added to the list in 2006.
The policy of commercialisation was not preceded by any comprehensive and independent planning to look into the socio-environmental impacts of this change in land use, the speakers, addressing the seminar organised by Citizens for a Better Environment (CBE) or SHERI, a voluntary organisation said.
The process of commercialisation of roads in Karachi had started first in 1970 and during the last 28 years many changes took place in the policy, but the implementation was failed due to lack of mechanism, Farhan Anwar, Urban Planner of CBE said.
According to a survey report, conducted by SHEHRI, he said that 70 percent of the citizens of this metropolis had condemned the policy of commercialising the government land most prominently the roads. At least 86 percent of people, as the survey showed had alleged the city government officials of their special interest, corruption, and political motivation, involved in the process of road commercialisation.
Addressing the seminar, Nimatullah Khan, former Karachi Nazim said that the policy was under consideration during his tenure in 2004. He said the existing city government was responsible for implementation of the policy in such a way that it affected the general public mostly.
"Five major roads have been commercialised so far in my town which is causing lots of civic problems to the residence," Zahid Saeed, Nazim UC-7, Jamshed Town said.
Alleging the Karachi Building Control Authority (KBCA) of having blind eye on unauthorised buildings, being constructed without following the master plan, he said that there is no accountability or authority to check the matter.
He said dozens of letters had been written to the city Nazim regarding the poor sewerage system in his town, which was mainly due to the commercialisation of roads and government lands by the City government.
Amber Alibhai, the SHEHRI General Secretary said the organisation had initiated a study of the consequences of commercialisation made without recourse to public opinion and in the absence of accurate data reflecting the adverse impacts.
The roads commercialised so far are Khyaban-e-Jami, Choudhry Khaliquzaman Road, Khiban-e-Roomi, Khiban-e-Saadi, Khiban-e-Iqbaal, Beach Avenue Road, Tariq Road, Alamqir Road, Sir Syed Road, Allama Iqbal Road, Shaheed-emillat Road, Jamaluddin Afghani Road, Shahrah-eFaisal, Rashid Minhaas Road, University Road, Nazimabad 'A' Road, Nishtar Road, Shahrah-eJahangir, Sharah-e-Pakistan, and Shershah Suri Road in the metropolis.
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