Three-day drive to clean up Old City areas kicks off

The Anti-Encroachment Cell of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) on Monday launched a three-day campaign against unauthorised structures, pushcarts and movable cabins in the congested Old City areas.

The encroachments in such areas are causing grave inconvenience to residents and visitors.

Sharing details of the campaign, KMC Director Masood Alam said the exercise that began on Monday morning from the city's largest wholesale market, Jodia Bazaar and around the city courts, met strong resistance, mainly by shopkeepers, who had extended businesses to the pavements in front of their shops.

"Many of them were found to have rented out the place to makeshift stall owners," he said, mentioning the anti-encroachment team adopted an assertive approach during the operation.

“The anti-encroachment force helped us in ensuring that roads, lanes and pavements encroached upon were cleared and citizens visiting the city courts as well as the commercial centres along with those having their residence and businesses were facilitated.”

To a query, the KMC director said the campaign would continue till Wednesday in the Old City area, adding that the action would be turned into a regular feature so as to help create a clean ambience and also get rid of gridlocks that have emerged to be a regular feature.

As a policy, the KMC has decided to conduct the campaign on weekly basis and from March 6, the anti-encroachment cell will hold the exercise two days a week initially in the Old City area and then in other parts of the metropolis. He appealed to the people to support the endeavour, saying that it was meant to benefit them.