Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has instructed all administrative, local bodies, development authorities, and the police to create a plan to eliminate encroachments from footpaths, service roads, green belts, walkways, and streets to restore the beauty and sanctity of Karachi.

‘We as a Sindh government are strengthening the local bodies so that this city can be made liable but under the nose of concerned authorities, encroachments are made in their areas to wash away all the government’s efforts.’

He issued these instructions while presiding over a meeting to discuss the issues of encroachments and resolve them here at the CM House. Provincial Ministers – Nasir Shah, Saeed Ghani, Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, PSCM Agha Wasif, Chairman P and D Najam Shah, Commissioner Karachi Hassan Naqvi, Adl IG Karachi Imran Yakoob, Secretary Local Govt Khalid Hyder Shah, Secretary Finance Fayaz Jatoi, Secretary Transport Asad Zamin, MD SSWMB Imtiaz Shah, DG SBCA Rasheed Solangi, CEO Water Board Salahuddin, DG KDA all the deputy commissioners.

Encroachments on walkways, Green belts and Streets: The chief minister said that encroachments on footpaths, Green Belts, walkways and streets have defaced the city and caused serious issues in the flow of traffic even for the pedestrians but no authority was ready to remove them.

Mr Shah categorically said that no institution has the authority to allow encroachment on the Green belts, footpaths and walkways. ‘How, some private offices have installed their generators on the footpath under the nose of the concerned local body and the deputy commissioner,’ he questioned.

He directed all the administration, KMC, Town Municipal Corporations (TMCs), the police, and the development authorities to clarify their role and responsibilities.

The local Govt Minister Saeed Ghani and Mayor Karachi said that the local bodies had their anti-encroachment wings but were not as active as they should have.

The CM directed the KMC, TMCs, and administration to remove encroachments from the public spaces with the support of the police. ‘I would suggest you give appropriate time to the encroachers and then launch a vigorous operation,’ he directed the concerned authorities.

Removal of Debris: It was pointed out that debris and construction materials were left on the footbaths, service roads and even the main roads. The CM directed SBCA to get an undertaking from all the builders while permitting them that they would not use public spaces for dumping the construction material. Meanwhile, the administration would launch a drive against such government and private builders, impose heavy fines against them and seize their material.

Road Cutting: The CM said that different authorities such as KMC, KDA, TMCs and others were granting road-cutting permission and collecting charges but have failed to reconstruct the roads.

TheCM directed the chief secretary to get the charges for road cutting revised and evolve a mechanism to reconstruct the dug-up road within three months. He said that there must be a certification procedure.

Illegal charged parking: The meeting observed that various illegally charged parking have been developed on the roads. This illegal parking is causing serious traffic issues.

The CM directed the local government and other concerned authorities to notify the parking officially in consultation with the traffic police and remove all the unauthorized. The participants told the CM that most of the shopping plazas have their parking areas, but they have converted them into godowns and have rented them out.

Murad Ali Shah directed the SBCA to share the list of the shopping plazas having parking areas with the Commissioner Karachi. The Commissioner through his DCs and SSPS would launch operations against them and restore their parking areas.

The CM constituted a traffic management under the Commissioner to resolve illegal parking issues.

Billboards: The meeting was told that the mapping of the city for Billboards would be made so that they could only be installed at the designated site as per approved size.

He directed the KMC to file his proposals for billboards. He added that the billboards installed on the rooftops were hazardous.

Improvement of Services: The CM said that there was a general impression and cries about the services to citizens such as the issuance of birth/death/heirship certificates. He added that he wanted to strengthen the certification system by the KMC, Towns, union councils and even DC offices.

The chief minister directed the chief secretary to streamline and simplify the certification system, including Domicile and PRCs and report to him.

Water shortage: The CM was told that the city was facing an acute water shortage. The water board was of the view that they were working to distribute water among the Towns judicially.

The plan to distribute water among all the towns judiciously was being prepared and its implementation would overcome the water distribution problem.

As far as the availability of water in the city was concerned, the CM was told that it was 590 MGD and a shortfall of 615 MGD.

The CM said that the government was laboriously working to add more water in the bulk system of the city, but it would take time, meanwhile, KWSB must improve its system to provide relief to the people.

SBCA: The CM was told that mainly there were five types of violations, including violation of compulsory open space within the plot line, construction of the excess covered area, within an approved number of floors by violating open ducts, violation of floors beyond the approved number of floors and violation of approved parking and amenities of the project and misuse of approved land use plan.

A maximum number of floors is permissible for residential plots measuring up to 399 Sq.yds. (G plus two floors) in planned areas, whereas (ground plus 1st floor) along with Basement is permissible for residential plots from 400 Sq.yards. and above, except for old city areas.

The CM directed the SBCA to start operations against illegal and unapproved constructions and report him. ‘I’ll review the progress of SBCA issues in the next meeting just after the 10th of Moharram,’ he said.

The chief minister directed Commissioner Karachi to get unnecessary overhead cables removed from all the roads and streets. He directed the chief secretary to have his order implemented and kept their progress reviewed.