KMC director denies allowing cutting trees in Clifton park
September 07, 2014
Karachi
The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) director responsible for installation and management of billboards has denied giving permission to cut down trees in a Clifton park.
In response to a news item published on September 6, KMC Local Taxes Senior Director Akhter Sheikh stated that he had the joined the department only three weeks ago and had not granted permission for installation of hoardings or chopping down trees from the green belt in front of Dolmen Mall.
On Friday, the Sindh High Court (SHC) had restrained the KMC from cutting down trees on the amenity plot.
The interim order came on a petition by Noman Qadri and others against cutting of 1,400 trees at an amenity plot near the Dolmen Mall in Clifton by the KMC for installing advertisement billboards.
The petitioners submitted that the master plan of KDA Scheme Kahkashan provided a public park of three acres in front of the Dolmen Mall and the defunct CDGK had planted 1,400 trees there to improve the beauty and environment of the area.
The petitioner’s counsel, Salahuddin Ahmed, submitted that civic administration was cutting down the trees opposite and around Dolmen Mall so as to provide better visibility facility of an advertising billboard erected under the license by the KMC.
The counsel submitted that it had come to know that civic administration were intending to cut down the trees on periphery of the park and install advertising billboards and also provide commercial parking space there. He contended that parks could not be used as commercial sites and the KMC was intending on earning revenue by selling the space for advertising and parking purposes rather than protecting the environment.
He submitted that subject plot has been earmarked for an amenity purpose and it could not be utilized for other purposes, including installation of advertising billboards and hoardings or provisions of parking space, adding that the government and KMC impugned plan were violation of Sindh Local Government Act, Town Planning Regularization 2002 and Sindh Plantation and Maintenance of Trees and Public Parks Ordinance 2002. The court was asked to stop the KMC from cutting trees in the park and direct the respondents to take all necessary steps for protection of the park together with all its trees and greenery.
The SHC division bench, headed by Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, after preliminary hearing of the petition issued notices to the chief secretary, the KMC and Sindh Environmental Protection Agency for September 16 and in the meantime restrained the KMC and government from cutting down trees in the park.
The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) director responsible for installation and management of billboards has denied giving permission to cut down trees in a Clifton park.
In response to a news item published on September 6, KMC Local Taxes Senior Director Akhter Sheikh stated that he had the joined the department only three weeks ago and had not granted permission for installation of hoardings or chopping down trees from the green belt in front of Dolmen Mall.
On Friday, the Sindh High Court (SHC) had restrained the KMC from cutting down trees on the amenity plot.
The interim order came on a petition by Noman Qadri and others against cutting of 1,400 trees at an amenity plot near the Dolmen Mall in Clifton by the KMC for installing advertisement billboards.
The petitioners submitted that the master plan of KDA Scheme Kahkashan provided a public park of three acres in front of the Dolmen Mall and the defunct CDGK had planted 1,400 trees there to improve the beauty and environment of the area.
The petitioner’s counsel, Salahuddin Ahmed, submitted that civic administration was cutting down the trees opposite and around Dolmen Mall so as to provide better visibility facility of an advertising billboard erected under the license by the KMC.
The counsel submitted that it had come to know that civic administration were intending to cut down the trees on periphery of the park and install advertising billboards and also provide commercial parking space there. He contended that parks could not be used as commercial sites and the KMC was intending on earning revenue by selling the space for advertising and parking purposes rather than protecting the environment.
He submitted that subject plot has been earmarked for an amenity purpose and it could not be utilized for other purposes, including installation of advertising billboards and hoardings or provisions of parking space, adding that the government and KMC impugned plan were violation of Sindh Local Government Act, Town Planning Regularization 2002 and Sindh Plantation and Maintenance of Trees and Public Parks Ordinance 2002. The court was asked to stop the KMC from cutting trees in the park and direct the respondents to take all necessary steps for protection of the park together with all its trees and greenery.
The SHC division bench, headed by Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, after preliminary hearing of the petition issued notices to the chief secretary, the KMC and Sindh Environmental Protection Agency for September 16 and in the meantime restrained the KMC and government from cutting down trees in the park.
