Illegal Constructions have Encroached Karachi at large

Way back in 2015 a few hundred residents of Moon Garden in Gulistan e Jauhar spent two nights in open during chilling winters as protest when they were forced evacuation from their homes. As their flat site had been termed illegal by the Sindh High Court, allotments of apartments were declared malicious and the Court ordered the Karachi Development Authority (KDA) to demolish the building. The protesting residents blamed the Sindh government and their builder responsible for the crime, as the builder not only built more storeys than permitted by the law but also on a land that belonged to Pakistan Railways.

That protest got widespread coverage across the country persuading the Supreme Court of Pakistan to annul the verdict of Sindh High Court and fined the builder of Rs. 50 million which the builder willingly agreed to pay for violating the law. Although, the Supreme Court saved the residents from going homeless but this judgment also raised eyebrows as it was meant to set a bitter precedent of regularization of illegal construction on amenity lands by paying some financial penalties.

 If at that time the Supreme Court’ verdict came as to demolish illegal construction along with financially compensate the residents or providing homes of equivalent standard or even sentence of the builder and authorities involved in the scam, it would have been much better which outright discouraged illegal construction in the city. But with this verdict the fear of punishment was vanished among greedy builders, who sped up their illegal constructions, china-cuttings and land-grabbing across the Karachi city.

Today, the consequences of that judgment are reflecting again. As the issue of illegal construction has resurfaced and an ongoing demolition drive by the KDA on the orders of Supreme Court is a subject of civic concern among the Karachites. The Supreme Court had on Nov 30, 2017 directed the KDA and Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) to clear 35,000 amenity plots of the city of encroachments within two months. The SC’s two-member bench headed by the Justice Gulzar Ahmed issued directives to the KDA and the KMC on the petition of a civilian. Thus, the estate and enforcement department of the KDA is, under its ongoing operation, demolishing various structures including marriage halls and residential building raised illegally on amenity plots in areas like Korangi, F.B. Ara, Gulshan e Iqbal, Gulistan e Jauhar, North Nazimabad, PIB Colony, Laiquatabad, Nazimabad and Saddar. In a statement Sindh Local Government Minister has asserted that in line with the Supreme Court directives, the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) and Karachi Development Authority would continue their anti-encroachment drive on amenity plots “till all the illegal constructions are razed to the ground.”

On the other hand, the demolition of structures that included residential facilities purchased by hundreds of Karachites in ignorance of the fact that those buildings were raised illegally attracted serious reactions from MQM-Pakistan which termed it a “politically motivated” drive by Sindh Government. The KMC’ City Council also passed unanimous resolution to comply with the orders of the country’ top court from removing encroachments, but requested consideration for people living on occupied properties.

Housing and accommodations have always been an undomesticated issue in Karachi city. With a population of over 20 million, uncontrolled growth rate and unchecked magnitude of migration from rural and tribal areas, the problem of sheltering is getting worsened with each passing day. That ignited a web of encroachments via unregistered Katchi Abadis throughout metropolitan and also illegal construction by grabbing amenity lands like parks, playgrounds, welfare centres and etc.   

The present Supreme Court judgment must be welcome without doubt but it should have also been accompanied with serious punishments to land grabbers and concerned land authorities. Also, commercial constructions on amenity plots like wedding halls, madarssahs, private schools and private clubs mustn’t be spared but the residential constructions should be reviewed again and alternate shelters for displaced people need to be sought.    

Mayor Waseem Akhtar rightly said encroachments at parks and amenity plots should never be allowed but if the people were to be displaced, they be provided with alternative living spaces with approval of the City Council.  That’s the reason not only protests are continued in affected areas but also the City Council – the elected representative body of the metropolitan -- has requested the apex court to review its decision.

Members of the City Council also questioned the regularization of Katachi Abadis by the Sindh Government. It is estimated there are presently more than 5000 Katachi Abadis, Goth or slum areas in Karachi’ vicinity, while 10 years back their quantity was less than 2000. The Federal Government together with the Sindh Government cannot spare from blame because both have not launched any low cost public housing scheme in Karachi since decades. The prices of land of Karachi is so up today that a poor or even a middleclass family cannot afford now any home of their own here.   

The housing and shelter is a massive problem of the day in Karachi and the governments have no intentions to solve this basic human need. The result -- might be temporary stopped -- but illegal construction will remain in full swing in the city and the poor residents remain the victims of land grabbing mafia in the city.

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Editorial, Infocus     

Pakistan’s Science-Policy Conference on Climate Change – The First & Foremost Endeavour.

The first Science-Policy Conference on Climate Change organized by the Global Change Impact Studies Centre (GCISC) – a research wing of the Ministry of Climate Change – might serve as the first concrete dialogue in Pakistan where perils of Climate Change were taken seriously at official levels. Prime Minister of Pakistan Shahid Khaqan Abbasi not only laid down the basic in-hand policies of the government to tackle this menace but also vowed that Pakistan remains committed to playing its role in global efforts for tackling the issue of Climate Change.

The PM seemed steadfast in his speech during inaugural session when stated “Climate Change has become one of the biggest challenges for mankind and has united all international community at one platform for action against its hazards.”

Pakistan ratified the Paris Agreement in 2015 and following the principles therein to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions by 20%. Investment and international funding in reduction of Climate Change’ effects, however, is important being the global citizens.

Despite having only a 1% of greenhouse footprint, Pakistan is among the top 10 most affected countries on the Global Climate Risk Index (CRI, 2016), and currently faces a number of climate-related challenges, including rising temperatures, unpredictable changes in precipitation patterns, increased frequency and intensity of extreme health events, recurring droughts and floods, groundwater pollution, rising sea levels, potential for heightened conflicts over water rights between riparian regions, increased health risks due to changes in disease vectors, environmental degradation specially of water-related ecosystems, declining agricultural productivity, and governance issue associated with these stresses.

Mentioning the recent prevalence of smog in the Punjab, the PM rightly pointed out it should serve as an eye-opener to be more serious about the issue of environment.

The Science-Policy Conference on Climate Change provides an initial mapping of efforts being undertaken to alleviate the impacts of Climate Change, assessment of knowledge and capacity needs and priorities that better reflect the Pakistani development context, and a stimulating environment with the intention to yield innovative ideas and grounds for implementation.

The PM cited diverse efforts by Pakistan in this regard and told the delegates Pakistan has allocated 8% of its budget to fight the effects of Climate Change. Not only he informed that Pakistan had a zero import of furnace oil and running the related power houses on imported liquified natural gas but expressed confidence that the country will completely phase out furnace oil-based power generation in near future to mitigate oil’s negative fallout on climate. About clean energy he briefed that 50% of primary energy coming from gas and other 20% from hydropower and other resources.

Around 100 scientists from all over the world presented their research findings at the 3-day conference on Climate Change which is the first ever international event on the issue in the country hosted by the GCISC.

Other institutions that collaborate in the endeavor included the US Pakistan Centre for Advanced Studies, the Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, the University of UTH, the Sustainable Development Policy Institute, the Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in South, the Higher Education Commission, the Pakistan Meteorological Department, National Disaster Management Authority and HBS.

The Conference highlights the need for improved climate-related research and information for Pakistan as well as help prepare policy recommendations to address Climate Change challenges affecting the country development, promote coordination among researchers and institutions working on different aspects of climate change in Pakistan and facilitate their collaboration with international scientists and experts engaged in research activities.

Editorial, Infocus.

Let Karachi breathe clean air

A recent World Health Organisation (WHO) report reveals that ambient and household air pollution in cities cause a horrible figure of 6.5 million premature deaths every year globally. And, it is an open secret the air quality in Karachi is highly unsatisfactory, if not fully unsafe, because of presence of heavy smoke in the atmosphere and also resulting in rising numbers of serious diseases particularly allergic, respiratory and cardiac illnesses in recent times.

The major ambient or outdoor pollution sources include: vehicles, power generation, building heating system and industrial, agricultural and hospitals’ incinerations. While indoors people are also prone to various polluting technologies and fuels for household cooking, heating, lighting, releasing smoke into the home and leaching pollutants outdoors.

With the city of Lahore severely hit by smog last month and predictable widening of smog horizon in the region, there is an urgency that the authorities of Karachi must give a proper focus in regards to air pollution to save citizens from growing environmental hazards. At present the air in Karachi is largely being polluted by automobile smoke, specially Rickshaws and Buses, industrial emissions, open burning of garbage, house fires and other particles. It is high time the Sindh Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and Metropolitan’ health and municipal services departments must act immediately in this regard.

It must not be forgot that last year the WHO in a report ranked Karachi the fifth most polluted city in the world. The report ranked 1600 cities of 91 countries for quality of their air, which is measured for concentrations of particulate matters (PM10 and PM2.5), two major harmful pollutants that can cause serious diseases.

NUMBEO is the world’ largest database of user contributed data about cities and countries, which provides current and timely information on living conditions including cost of living, health, traffic, crime, pollution and etc. According to NUMBEO, Karachi’ present Air pollution level of PM10 and PM2.5 are 290 and 88 respectively which is extremely high as suggest by WHO standards. It also says pollution index of Karachi is 95.65 and Pollution EXP scale is 172.6. 

It is also unfortunate that Karachi is one of the few cities in the world who haven’t have their own air quality index -- a criterion of computing used by government authorities to address to the public about the concentration of pollution in the air. The air quality monitoring exercises of SEPA are erratic and the provincial agency never analysed or documented it’s data to predict future pollution level. The Environmental Monitoring Stations in the city installed at the head office of SEPA in Korangi and Deputy Commissioner, Central’ office in North Nazimabad are dysfunctional and the only environmental monitoring van in the city is longer remained mobile.

Humans health relies on air quality which is also closely linked to earth’ climate and ecosystems globally. The city administration should come up to devise and implement a brief strategy to improve the quality of air before breathing becomes impossible in Karachi.

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Editorial, Infocus

A Praiseworthy Judgment against Encroachments

The yesterday judgment from the Supreme Court of Pakistan to remove all encroachments and cabin shops from public parks and amenity plots across the city has given food for thoughts to all illicit business establishments. The SC bench headed by Justice Gulzar Ahmed took serious exception to the practice of renting out spaces in public parks and roads by the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) authorities.

Infocus in its earlier blog dated March 20, this year pointed out at these "unsolved and unresolved demon" of the metropolis and urban analysts believe the roadside encroachments are the main factor, which has made the Karachi' traffic and environs outright chaotic.

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.

Pointing out at the encroachment business in Sadder area, the SC observes "The police station are running on money received from push-cart vendors." Infocus figured out in previous blog " 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."

Now all hope are on Commissioner, whom the SC has directed to personally supervise the anti-encroachment campaign and submit a compliance report. Whatever be the outcome, that is an outright verdict.

 

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Editorial, Infocus

Environmental Degradation and Climate Change in Karachi -- With Special Focus on Karachi

Stressing on the need of environmental governance  notable scholar and Climate Change expert Dr. Pervaiz Amir says "Governments must integrate aspects of climate change while designing development projects" to prevent environment from degradation. As a key note speaker of a seminar "Environmental Degradation and Climate Change in Karachi -- With Special Focus on Karachi", he was of the opinion although Pakistan is globally ranked at the 7th among the world' most vulnerable countries in 2017 but as a matter of fact we are at the number one position, because of the size of population and nature of calamities.

The event was organised by Monthly Farozaan and Global Environmental Management System (GEMS) in cooperation with Farozaan Environmental Protection Organisation, Karachi Forum for Climate Change. Various speakers and participants of the seminar shared their opinions and disappointments that all the world nations take awareness of conservation and environment safety as the foremost challenges, however in Pakistan these are lowly prioritised areas before state authorities.     

Dr. Pervaiz vehemently criticises governments' policies of outsourcing public amenity services like solid waste disposal, water supply, etc and says "Outsourcing is a bad strategy as governments can make the sector of water and waste disposal sustainable by themselves."  Citing the consequences of environment degradation, the renowned scholar blamed the forestry and irrigation departments most for deforestation and desertification in the country because of which the span of winter season has been limited to just 35 to 40 days in a year.  

Dr. Pervaiz observed that the population of Karachi alone is bigger than those countries who are above Pakistan in the Economic Intelligence Unit' list of most vulnerable countries and also revealed multiple threats namely droughts, hill storms, tornados, smog, landslides and absence of pristine water, posed to the "badly managed city" in future.

Secretary Environment Sindh Dr. Baqa ullah Unar said in the seminar that as a developing country the provision of basic needs like education, food, jobs and etc remain "much bigger tasks"  before government, therefore alongside government people should also come up to contribute in the improvement of environment by themselves. He adds " SEPA are providing free plants of Coconut and Neem to people for promotion of plantation in Sindh" for that purpose. Citing the contamination of ground water as a big threat Dr. Unar told the audience that various industries owners and business community were not cooperating and working on effluent plants in their premises so the SEPA imposed penalties on them. He further complained that  other departments like Agriculture or Motor vehicle are not working alongside SEPA to prevent environment from degradation. 

Mahmood Khalid the Editor in Chief of Farozaan said Climate Change is arguably more dangerous than terrorism and told the audience that "Through Farozaan we have been creating awareness and solving problems about environment deterioration since 2006, in fact we are the one who have written and produced most on environmental issues in Pakistan."   

While Senator Haseeb Baig expresses "we are sitting on a volcano and no government will come to rescue so we must improve environment by ourselves through plantation and cleanliness habits".

Earlier, Dr Waqar Ahmed from Karachi University Environmental Studies Department, gave a brief overview of Urban Heat Island in Karachi and revealed that very unprecedentedly extreme weather changes have been observed since couple of years in Karachi Heat Index. 

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Editorial, Infocus    

 

Railways, as solution of Karachi commutation woes

Trains are an effective and trouble-free public commutation system in all the major and mega cities of the world. Specially in the combined regions of South Asia and Fareast including China, where statistically half of the earth population reside, railway transit is essential for urban transport infrastructure. Either it is Beijing and Tokyo or Bangkok and Mumbai, local trains are a popular and effective means of life in a metro.

But what about Karachi which lacks any local train system? Is it no longer the most developed city of Pakistan, or lost the status of a megacity ? Even in this month of October, Lahore took unprecedented initiative and launched the Orange Train for citizens there, while Karachi is still bashing on revival of Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) that was suspended in 1999.

Once tram service and railways were used to be the best source of transportation in the metropolis. When Karachi was the capital of Pakistan, a tram network was a popular feature of commutation on the skirts of Sadder and M.A Jinnah Road. Though, majority of residents used buses and wagons for transportation within and surrounding of the old city areas. With the expansion of population, neigbourhoods like SITE area, Nazimabad, North Nazimabad, Liaqutabad, Federal B. Area, Gulshan e Iqbal came into existence and the then President Ayub Khan made a route of circular railway to facilitate the residents of these newly-emerged localities to travel daily to old city areas for their profession. Till the 1980s, the KCR was the best source of commutation among Karachities but thereafter, begun losing attraction gradually and was also insufficient for new developments like New Karachi, Gulistan e Jauhar and D.H.A., so ultimately closed in 1999.

As the Circular Railway stopped to function, land mafia occupied the land along the tracks and  still is a strong hurdle in the way of KCR revival. While commutation in Karachi has been getting hectic more and more with each passing day, making the private transporters another ruthless mafia of the city. Local governments always cites their legal disability on the subject of railways while federal and provincial governments hardly prioritise it in their programs.  

In 2008, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) submitted a feasibility report for the revival of Karachi Circular Railway, following it the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) approved Rs. 247 billion for the project in 2012 and in the 6th Coordination Committee meeting on December 29, 2016  the KCR has been made a part of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

The project, having 162 locomotives each with the capacity of 250 passengers, includes construction of 24 stations at 43.12 Km route, elimination of 22 level crossings, construction of 23.86 Km elevated tracks and 3.70 Km tunnel. It would function with 290 trains -- at an average speed of 45-50 Km/hour -- to ply on the route with frequency of 6 minutes and turnaround period of 43.12 Km is 66 minutes. It would likely to serve commuting needs of some 515,000 passengers each  day after its completion in 2020 and projected number of travellers would expected to increase 750,000 by the year 2030 and 915,000 in 2040.

Despite the fact that the revival of the KCR these days is confronted with a stalemate between Sindh Government and Pakistan Railways on the issues of lands and encroachments, the question is how much this Circular Railway system with existing network can be effective for citizens now, if revived on old patterns.

The 43-Km long railway line would reportedly go through Landhi, Wazir Mansion, Gulshan e Iqbal, COD, Gulistan e Jouhar, Orangi Town and Chanesar Goth with having 24 stations. But residents of New Karachi, Scheme 33, Surjani, Gulshan e Maymar, Clifton, D.H.A, Sadder, Korangi and many other areas cannot be benefitted from rail commutation with the already-existing circular railway network.

Even in areas where the railway stations are available, the vicinity is too big and dense that the KCR cannot serve even one single locality as a whole. For example, neither people reside in Buffer Zone and Godhra would benefit from the North Nazimabad station, nor people of Gulburg and Ancholi would have direct access to the Liaqutabad railway station. Similarly one wonders whether people of Gulistan e Jouhar would be able to avail the KCR service, where railway station is located outside the locality' limitation. To serve all these people parallel locomotive lanes or installation of more railway tracks are required.  

The Sindh Government recently announce that it is going to launch the first operational phase of the KCR on December 25, 2017 on a route between Wazir Mansion to Kharadar to Manghopir. In reality it is going to hand out no purpose and would serve only a filler in provincial government' shallow and shabby credentials. However, that doesn't mean to undermine the importance of KCR.

Railway transportation is must in Karachi today which can lessen the burden of vehicular traffic on roads and carbon density in environment. But important is the railway network should be meaningful and serve to a sizable amount of inhabitants. The  KCR may not obsolete but is not enough to cover all the metropolis. The city of 25 million dwellers further needs cross-rail lanes and proper railway networking including stations at all major areas to develop city on modern footings  with effective and trouble-free public transport system.

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Infocus Editorial. 

K-Electric; The Dracula in Metropolis

The October this year hasn't  been kind so far for Karachites who are still facing an untimed hot weather with temperature rising 40 degree centigrade. Worse and more unbearable was the power interruptions and unannounced load-shedding on behalf of K Electric in this souring heat. Many areas of the city has experienced above 8 hours without electricity. However, even worse is the news of the day that NEPRA has allowed the K-Electric to raise the consumer tariff further 0.70 paisa per unit.

As reported, the management of the K Electric sought a hike in tariff to 15.57 per unit for consumers of Karachi. But the NEPRA raised it to Rs. 12.77 from Rs. 12.07 which was set couple of months ago in March 2017. Apparently it is for to facilitate the sale of majority stakes from Abraaj Capital to Shanghai Electric of China. The period for the Multi-Year Tariff shall be seven years applicable from July 1, 2016 till June 30, 2023.

A city of over 23 million, electricity situation in Karachi is deplorable, brutal and unjust. The K-Electric formerly the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation before it was privitised in 2005 to the Abraaj Capital is a sole power utility of the city was, supplying 2500 MW electricity in Karachi, which is sufficient enough according to statistics, but power crisis persists in the city for many reasons.  Due to massive and uncalled loadshedding residents protest on the road, burn tyres and blocking traffic in the metropolis. Irregular power outages have also caused shortage of water and officials of the KWSB complain that owing to power outages in the pumping stations many areas of the metropolis do not receive water.

Apart from loadshedding crisis, the K Electric is overtly looting the citizens through time to time increased tariff, hidden over billing and unfavourable fuel adjustment charges. It's tariff is not less than any Draconian regulation which is just cruelly sucking after sucking the blood of its consumers until, they die. People of Karachi have hardly got any solace or public benefits since it's privitisation.  

Whenever, NEPRA reduces power prices (due to fuel adjustments) it did this year in March by Rs. 3.23 per unit and in August 2017 by Rs. 1.7 per unit for the consumers all over the country, yet the relief didn't applicable to the consumers of K-Electric, because it is a private entity now which prefers profits over general public wellbeing.

Though, the K Electric officially says it is supplying 2500 MW but in practice it isn't. In truth it can supply 2500 MW or can generate and transmit enough power required in the metropolis but again as it is a private entity, therefore many claims it is producing less electricity to save fuel in order to mint maximum profits.

It's recovery process is weirdly unbelievable. Instead of working on to cut down the power pilferages and grip the electricity thieves the K Electric has adopted a crude and unjustified formula which punish all the consumers even handedly in the city. The KE officials publicly maintain that in areas where consumers pay their electricity bills , there is hardly any loadshedding. But in neighbourhoods where recovery is low, people face loadshedding over eight hours -- just to adjust recovery losses or maintain the profit margin..

I do not believe it will be heard in our corrupt governmental corridors but the truth is it is time to renationalise the K-Electric for the sake of public.

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Editorial, Infocus