600 illegal set-ups identified on second day of Gujjar Nullah operation

The District Central administration continued its anti-encroachment operation on Thursday, surveying around 600 establishments illegally built on the Gujjar Nullah that had caused its surrounding areas to be inundated during the recent torrential rains in Karachi.

Bux Dharejo, the district’s deputy commissioner, told The News that the survey will take a week to complete because the administration is collecting data on all the encroachments, including houses and commercial units, built on the storm water drain. He said the survey was conducted on three strips: from Nala Stop to Cafe Piyala, to the Ziauddin Hospital and to Lyari. “After it is completed, the report will be sent to the Sindh government to prepare a plan for the relocation of these people before these structures are demolished to reclaim the nullah’s land.”

Gulberg protest

Scores of people living in the surroundings of the Gujjar Nullah near Cafe Piyala gathered on the road in the Gulberg neighbourhood to hold a protest against the ongoing anti-encroachment operation.

The protesters, which included women and children, shouted slogans and demanded that the government provide them with alternative homes. They also disrupted the flow of vehicular traffic by placing tyres on the road, causing a massive traffic jam from the Water Board roundabout towards Sakhi Hassan Chowrangi.

However, the locals ended their protest after the authorities concerned as well as a heavy contingent of law enforcers carried out peaceful negotiations with them. No untoward incident was reported due to the demonstration.

Soft encroachments

On Wednesday the District Central administration had removed more than 100 soft encroachments over the Gujjar Nullah. Dharejo said that a total of 105 illegal soft encroachments, not involving residential units, which were put up on the drain were removed by the district administration. Police escorted them to ensure a smooth run of the operation.

He said the administration also pointed out and collected data on houses and commercial units illegally built on the land of the nullah. He added that this data collection will continue until its completion.

He also said the data will be sent to the Sindh government for the relocation of the people who will be affected by the operation before their houses or shops are demolished.

This is the ninth operation at the Gujjar Nullah, which is around 15 years old. In 2018 a major operation was carried out and 2,900 illegal structures were removed. Then Karachi mayor Wasim Akhtar had supervised the operation.

A high-level meeting was held seven years ago, when Fazlur Rehman was the Sindh chief secretary, to discuss encroachments. In that meeting heated arguments had taken place among the MNAs and MPAs of that time.

Rehman had ended the meeting, telling everyone to end their conflicts first. Then Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader Dr Farooq Sattar had said that according to the dictionary, encroachments were illegal, and had demanded alternative land for those affected by the anti-encroachment operation.

Dharejo said the rehabilitation process could be tough, but he made the assurance that no one would be rendered without shelter because of the anti-encroachment operation.

He said that after the rehabilitation process was completed, the Gujjar storm water drain would be widened, and a road would be constructed on either side of the nullah. He stressed the importance of the Gujjar Nullah, saying that all the storm water drains pass through it.

Replying to a question, he said that the three phases of the operation would take around three months to complete, adding that the provincial government was responsible for providing the affected people with alternative accommodations.

In some areas, the anti-encroachment team faced resistance from the residents. The people affected by the operation in the Nazimabad and Liaquatabad neighbourhoods also held a protest against the anti-encroachment operation. However, no untoward incident was reported to have occurred. A senior police officer said that officials of the paramilitary force and the police department were present on the scene to avoid disruption of law and order, adding that strict action would be taken against those who disturb the peace of the city.