Court orders line depts to form bodies against encroachment

ABBOTTABAD: The Peshawar High Court’s Abbottabad Circuit Bench has directed the line departments to constitute permanent anti-encroachment bodies to stop encroachments on water drainage systems.

The writ petition was filed by Zafar Iqbal Advocate, Anila Amir Advocate, Abid Hussain and Muhammad Rizwan Awan

The secretary Ministry of Communications, secretary Rural and Urban Development Authority, commissioner Hazara, deputy commissioner Abbottabad, tehsil municipal officer Abbottabad, tehsil nazim Abbottabad, Chairman Water and Sanitation Services Company (WSSCA), Galiyat Development Authority, the chief executive officer of the Cantonment Board Abbottabad and the director general of the National Highways Authority were made respondents.

The two-member bench comprising Justice Waqar Ahmad and Justice Kamran Hayat Miankhel disposed of the petition, directing the respondents to constitute permanent anti-encroachment bodies to check encroachment on water drainage systems.

The bench ordered the respondents to ensure cleanliness of the city and timely disposal of waste from residential areas.

Assistant Attorney General Syed Shahid Mehboob and Sardar Ali Raza, Fida Bahadur Advocate and Kiran Ayub Tanoli represented the respondents.

In a detailed judgement, the court stated that petitioners were residents of Abbottabad city and as per their contention the rainwater entered houses and caused losses due to encroachments on drainage systems.

“It has further contended that the departments concerned do not perform their duties in respect of cleanliness and waste management and thus the environment of Abbottabad City is being polluted,” the judgement said.

According to the judgement, comments and detailed reports were taken from respondents regarding removal of encroachments from water drains as well as disposal of garbage waste.

The petitioners in writ petition pointed out apathy of different line departments and failed to check the mushroom growth of encroachment over the drainage system.

It declared that WSSCA was bound to submit a master plan after consulting all the administrative units.