Tag Archives: Gujjar Nullah

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The police released the KBT members who were arrested for opposing the Gujjar nullah operation | Instant News


Gulberg police released three Karachi Bachao Tehreek members, who were detained for opposing Gujjar nullah anti-encroachment operations Sunday afternoon.

On Sunday, a team from the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation anti-encroachment department reached the Farooq-e-Azam Colony in FB Area Block-12 with heavy machinery to destroy houses built along the sewer.

KBT organizer Khurram Ali, Abid Asghar and others also visited the site. They told KMC staff that residents had filed a case with an anti-encroachment court, which is likely to arrest the demolition of the house. KBT members said the court had asked for answers from the authorities on April 14 and that until then, the demolition of certain houses had been postponed.

KMC staff told KBT representatives that they did not destroy the house whose owner had been granted a residence permit. But the demolition of the house mentioned by the KBT members has not yet been detained, they said.

There was a heated argument between the two sides, after which KMC officials called the police. Gulberg police reached the venue and detained KBT Chairman Khurram Ali, Abid Asghar, Bashir, Shayan and Sheeraz.

Ali told SAMAA Digital that they went to the Farooq-e-Azam Colony to support residents’ efforts to save their homes.

“I told them that the residents had posted a notice issued to the authorities on their house and asked them to set aside this house for two days,” he said.

KBT organizers accused KMC staff of threatening them with dire consequences before calling the police to arrest them.

KMC Anti-Encroachment Department Deputy Director Masroor Iqbal said staff were busy with the anti-encroachment movement when some people came and tried to stop it.

“One of them, Khurram (KBT organizer) told me to show me the demolition notice of the house and I asked why I had to show him because he is not a resident of the area,” he said.

Iqbal said he told them they would not touch the houses that the court had granted residency permits, but they could not spare the rest.

Khurram and his colleagues attacked KMC staff and he had no choice but to call the police, he added.

However, the police later released the KBT representatives on the guarantee that they would not take over the law or interfere with government business again.

Problem

Residents of the Blok-12 and Blok-17 FB Areas filed a case in the anti-encroachment court on April 3, asking him to stop KMC from destroying their homes built on “leased land”.

They said that their plot had been legally leased by the landlord agent and they built their house after fulfilling all the formalities.

The court has summoned the chief secretary of Sindh, director general of the Sindh Authority Katchi Abadi, administrator of the KMC, director of anti-encroachment of the KMC and deputy commissioner of the District Center along with written replies regarding the demolition of houses in these areas.

KMC has been working to expand Gujjar nullah. It is one of three rainwater channels to be widened to ensure smooth flow of rainwater. The other two are Mehmoodabad and Orangi nullahs.

The Sindh government decided to eliminate encroachment around this water channel after the urban floods in August 2020 in the city.

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Sindh forms a committee for the resettlement of victims of the Karachi nullah operation | Instant News


The Sindh government has set up a working committee for the rehabilitation and resettlement of families displaced in anti-encroachment operations on rainwater channels in Karachi.

The working committee is chaired by Commissioner Karachi Navid Ahmed Shaikh. It will also have a deputy commissioner, a KMC city commissioner, one senior official each from KDA, MDA and LDA and DMC, a technical expert and two members of civil society.

The committee will prepare a working paper containing recommendations and suggestions from all members. It will complete the recommendation within four weeks of feedback from all members.

The working committee will thoroughly examine the case and recommend the resettlement and rehabilitation of affected families.

The working committee has formed two review committees. The I-Review Committee will be chaired by Amber Alibhai, general secretary of Shehri Citizens for a Better Environment.

The Review Committee-II will be chaired by City Commissioner KMC Afzal Zaidi.

Review Committee-I will indicate the affected areas. It will collect details of affected families in a transparent manner, preserve and compile records with the assistance of technical experts, and hand it over to the government.

Review Committee-II will finalize its recommendations after receiving reports from Review Committee-I and members of the Revenue Council and other landowning institutions. After completing its recommendations, it will submit a report to the Karachi commissioner.

The resettlement committee will act on the reports of the two review committees.

However, Shehri-CBE Secretary General Amber Alibhai told SAMAA Digital that she has not decided to be part of the review committee. Shehri-CBE has a board and its members will make the final decision on this, he said.

He said officials approached Shehri-CBE and asked him to be part of an important meeting at the Karachi Commissioner Building about anti-encroachment operations on the Karachi aqueduct. “I have forwarded the government’s proposal to the Shehri-CBE council for a final decision,” Alibhai said.

“We are not involved in anything that is not under our command,” he told SAMAA Digital. “We have to make sure we don’t get used to other people’s advantages.”

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KMC is doubling its workforce on the Karachi rainwater channel | Instant News


Karachi Metropolitan Corporation has increased the number of anti-encroachment teams in Gujjar and Orangi nullahs in Karachi. This aims to accelerate the elimination of encroachment from rainwater channels.

Twelve KMC teams are working on both channels. Six teams are working on three different locations along Gujjar nullah. These locations are Chuna Depot near Liaquatabad no 4, Shafiq Mor to Bangali Para and Landi Kotal.

Six KMC teams work along Orangi nullah near Chaman Cinema, Safaid Chowk and Pak Colony.

KMC has strengthened its anti-encroachment team to quickly remove encroachment from rainwater channels, KMC Senior Director Bashir Siddiqui told SAMAA Digital.

“We have doubled the anti-encroachment team in Gujjar and Orangi nullahs,” he said. “There are six teams working on both channels but now there are 12 teams.”

KMC has also marked encroachment along Gulistan-e-Zafar nullah. It lies behind Masjid-e-Roomi in the Pakistan Employees Cooperative Housing Society.

The marking of the unauthorized sections of the bungalows at Gulistan-e-Zafar nullah has been continued for several days. The process is expected to be completed by Wednesday.

Nearly 30 of the bungalows in Gulistan-e-Zafar have an additional section of the rainwater channel, according to Siddiqui. This encroachment blocks the flow of rainwater, which has accumulated in Sharae Faisal.

KMC has issued a notice to the bungalow owners, the official said. They had built a garage, a servant’s quarters and a kitchen in the rainwater drain, he explained.

KMC Senior Director Katchi Abadi Mazhar Khan said the process of marking the parts of the encroached bungalow had been continued. Authorities want to clear a distance of 20 feet on either side of Gulistan-e-Zafar nullah, he said.

KMC has completed a survey in this regard, added Khan.

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Karachi police released activist Khurram Ali after 10 hours of detention | Instant News


Karachi police have released activist Khurram Ali after being detained for 10 hours.

Ali, who runs a group called Karachi Bachao Tehreek, is being held at the Samanabad police station. He has recently created awareness among people affected by anti-encroachment operations in Gujjar and the Orangi nullahs.

KBT is scheduled to hold a demonstration outside the Karachi Press Club on Sunday against the demolition of rented houses along Gujjar nullah. The demonstration was entitled Ghar Bachao Ehtijaj.

Police arrested Ali from the Landi Kotal area at around 11am on Saturday. He was there to visit the site of an anti-encroachment operation, where the KMC was demolishing a concrete structure.

Fawwad Hasan, one of his colleagues, confirmed to SAMAA Digital that Ali had been released after 10 hours. Police asked him to stop protesting and intervene in anti-encroachment operations in Gujjar nullah, he said.

“They charged him for interfering with government affairs,” Hasan said, adding that the police objected to Ali’s visit and met with officials because he was not a resident of the area.

Hasan said they had been convinced by a senior police official that no FIR would be registered against the activist. The reason behind the 10 hour detention was to demoralize him and the other KBT members, he said.

“But we are determined to stage a protest on Sunday against the unjustified demolition of the rented houses in Gujjar nullah,” said Hassan.

Mohammad Toheed, associate researcher at Karachi Urban Lab, said Ali was an activist who created awareness among victims to exercise their legal right to demolish their rented house.

“The authorities do not want KBT to speak out against the illegal demolition of houses in Gujjar and Orangi nullahs,” said Toheed.

SAMAA Digital tries to contact Ali but his cell phone is turned off.

Samanabad police said they had released Ali late Saturday. He tried to provoke the affected people at the demonstration in the Landi Kotal area, they said.

Police said they arrested Ali for obstructing government affairs. He assured them not to take part in any protests over the removal of encroachment from the rainwater channels, they added.

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The massive anti-encroachment operation along Gujjar Nullah started today | Instant News


KARACHI: The massive anti-encroachment operation along the city of Gujjar Nullah was launched from today under the deployment of law enforcement agencies, ARY News reported.

“All preparations have been completed and the encroachment at Gujjar Nullah has been divided into three parts for the trip,” the official said.

Heavy equipment has been deployed at the operation site, which will be led by the senior director of the anti-encroachment department Bashir Ahmed Siddiqui.

The first phase of operations will be launched between Shafeeque More and Landi Kotal Chowrangi, while the second phase will start from Landi Kotal Chowrangi to the DMC office. The third and final phase of the anti-encroachment effort will take place from the DMC office to the Lyari River, according to officials.

The Paramilitary Rangers have been called in to provide security protections for the sake of maintaining law and order. SSP Central and DG Enforcement teams have also been called in for anti-encroachment operations.

Recently, the land and anti-encroachment department has demanded cancellation of leases on plots next to rainwater drains.

In a letter addressed to the Director General Katchi Abadis and the Directorate General Karachi Development Authority (KDA), the anti-encroachment department demanded the cancellation of the land lease agreement adjacent to Gujjar Nullah and Orangi Nullah.

The leased plot is a major hurdle in the implementation of the rainwater drainage expansion project, the letter said. “Work on this project can continue without a hitch after the cancellation of the leased plot.”

The Karachi drainage system is being renovated after heavy rains passed through the monsoon season in the city due to clogged drains and large nullah.

Experts put forward their recommendations suggesting restoration of rain channels and drainage of rainwater in their original form by removing the structures flanked by nullahs.

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