With the span of time
encroachments across the metropolitan area has become a major nuisance in
Karachi. Although, it is still not a permanent feature but surely look an
unsolved and endless problem because of various reason. Many anti-encroachments
drives at large and small scale have been carried out but every time these
bothersome settlements resurfaced after their temporary disappearance.
There is no denying the numbers of running vehicles
including cars and motorcycles is on the rise in the city however, analysts
believe the roadside encroachments are the main factor, which has made the
Karachi' traffic and environs outright chaotic. And, these encroachments have
increased over the years because of two reasons The first is the sizable growth
of commercial and residential activities in the city and the second is the
deliberate lethargy on behalf of the civic authorities to let these illegal
settlements unchecked.
Encroachments have turned today into a big mafia
generating billions of illicit rupees annually, which is the actual reason for
inaction on behalf of civic authorities. Police, traffic authorities, the KMC and
Cantonments staff remain irrelevant to
take any action against these encroached settlements in their respective areas
and in return they are paid with hefty monetary benefits to let them blossom.
Just take the example of Sadder, Karachi. According
to a recent reports a sizable amount of Rs. 450 million is collected monthly
from the encroachment mafia of the town. In Sadder town there are reportedly
thousands of regularised or legal shops, bound to pay government taxes and
utilities charges regularly, benefitting state exchequer. However, there are much
bigger numbers of irregular or illegal small business establishments where
thousands of people come daily to shop old and new goods in cheap rates. These
small business establishments is said to be nearly one lac in number only in
Sadder Karachi, which include modular stalls, moving carts, footpath shops,
roadside vendors and makeshift markets. Instead of paying any utility and tax
charges, they just pay Rs. 150 daily at individual capacity for their space,
which become Rs. 45 crore in total in a month, distributed in area police,
traffic police and KMC authorities.
The impacts of these encroachments and their
illegitimate space are hazardous. Not only they occupy the roads which cause
severe traffic jam and obstacles for pedestrians, but they also badly affect
the environment and public health of the area, besides depriving government
from a sizable revenue.
Though, the issue of road encroachments,
particularly by vendors also a human face too, but urban experts are firmed that
encroachment is a big problem in Karachi and is directly linked to traffic
congestion. These businesses are a big nuisance as they seriously hamper
traffic. According to the traffic police there are 26 "choke points"
in the city where encroachments have made traffic management almost impossible.
They include portions of Shahra e Faisal, M.R. Kiyani Road, Chand Bibi Road,
Yaqoob Khan Road, Agha Khan III Road, Dr. Daudpota Road, Abdullah Haroon Road,
Mansfield Street, Preedy Street, M.A. Jinnah Road, Nawab Siddiq Ali Khan Road,
Business Recorder Road and S.M. Taufeeq Road. It is basically the
responsibility of the traffic police and also the respective land-owning agencies
to act against encroachments, develop proper parking places and implement them
strictly.
Development and success of any mass transit project
requires space' clearance and smoothness which is linked with removal of all
kind of encroachments. The government must realise that making flyovers and
underpasses cannot become a successful solution to improving traffic flow as
the problem exists somewhere else.
By
Editorial, Infocus
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