On Sunday in Karachi, environmental activists and various residents’ organisations protested against the construction of a commercial strip at the Khayyam Canal construction site. The protesters demanded that the project be stopped immediately, full information be made public, and concerns about the narrowing of the channel be addressed.
What was said and why the protest took place
Representatives of the Clifton Block 5 Residents Association, Clifton Defence Community (CDC) and Karachi Residents Community (South District) took part in the protest. They gathered at the Khayyam Canal construction site, holding placards bearing slogans such as “Violation of Supreme Court orders,” “No food street on Khayyam Canal” and “What are you building? Share the plan publicly.”
Environmental activist Masood Lohar, founder and CEO of Clifton Urban Forest, said that people call themselves architects, engineers and city planners, but “they really do not know what they are doing.” According to him, Khayyam Canal is a natural link between Obhayo Lagoon and Guzar Creek, and the marine ecosystem cannot be tampered with.
“Khayyam Canal is a natural link between Obhayo Lagoon and Guzar Creek. You cannot tamper with the marine ecosystem. If you do, be prepared for floods, storms and tsunamis.”
Rasha Tariq, a member of Karachi Residents Community (South District), referred to a column published on September 10, 2006, by the late Dawn columnist and social activist Ardeshir Cowasjee. She said he had described Khayyam Canal as “one of the major lungs of the Clifton area,” meant “to carry rain and/or tidal water into the open sea, not sewage.”
Protesters’ concerns and demands
The protesters said that protecting the city’s drainage infrastructure, channels and open banks was everyone’s responsibility. According to them, Khayyam Canal is an essential part of Boat Basin and Karachi’s drainage infrastructure, so its channel, open banks and surrounding landscape should be protected as public assets.
Rumana Khan said people in the country are bearing the consequences of the government’s wrong decisions in the past. According to her, building dams in the wrong places and restricting the natural flow of rivers result in flash floods that destroy villages and settlements.
Wahma Ahmed, who lives in the area, questioned why no public information board had been put up for such a major commercial project. She demanded full details of the project’s approved design, land boundaries, environmental assessments, SEPA decisions, contracts and costs.
Shehraz Qureshi, whose family has lived in Clifton Block 5 for the past 40 years, called it “illegal commercialisation.” According to him, a dense commercial area cannot be built in the middle of a dense residential area because it affects all residents.
Dr Nadia Kiran, who lives in an apartment facing Khayyam Canal, said she had heard that there was a plan to narrow the drain and build a food street over it. According to her, the traffic, commotion and noise generated during the day and at night would affect her peace of mind.
Hamira Khan of the Clifton Defence Community and Clifton Block 5 Residents Association said authorities allow untreated waste to flow into the sea through drains such as Khayyam Canal and ignore its effects on marine life. According to her, this is an “encroachment,” and the Sindh government should focus on protecting the environment.
CDC President Abdul Rehman also said that there had been previous attempts to encroach on Khayyam Canal. According to him, the government’s priority seems to be “making money one way or another,” whereas water flows and waterways should be considered a gift of nature.
He also said that roads and large buildings are being constructed in the city, but proper infrastructure is not being built for the flow of water, whether clean or wastewater. According to him, Lyari River and Malir River are examples of this.
Project cost and the administration’s position
The protesters, including Ilyas Qazi Bash, Saeed Tipu Sharif and Shamila Dawood, demanded full financial details of the project. According to the report, its cost has been stated as 500 million rupees.
They said these details should include the approved budget, sources of funding, scope of the contract, contractor, payments and actual expenditures. Their other demands included protecting the channel’s stormwater capacity and public open space; not building shops or a food street on the channel land; proper treatment of waste before it is discharged into the sea; and an independent assessment of drainage and environmental impacts. They also called for meaningful public consultation before further work.
When contacted, a KMC spokesperson told Dawn that the project was being implemented through the Local Government Department and had no connection to KMC or the Mayor of Karachi.
