As it currently stands, our town planning leaves much to be desired. Once sleepy hamlets are now bustling towns, our cities have become chocked and congested concrete jungles, yet our thirst for housing seems to be infinite. Naturally, an unchecked population growth and, despite expectations to the contrary, rising prosperity, have contributed to this insatiable demand. This is catered to by numerous housing societies which are springing all over Lahore.

There was little regulation till the recent crackdown and all manner of shady characters, sponsored by politicians and other influentials, prospered. The sudden appearance of societies in greenbelts and other reserved areas of the city, entirely illegal, and the unscrupulous selling of files and plots, even before any approval by the relevant authorities - the norm. No wonder there are many a rags-to-riches stories associated with the industry, some rather hard to comprehend.

The current dilemma involves the major players in the industry. Some of them have the requisite connections to decision makers or are off-shoots of the decision makers. They are growing at an exponential rate without, it seems, any regulatory constraints. One particular defence related society particularly so. A drive to this part of the town used to be quite tedious due to the distance from Ferozepur Road, either through Gulberg and than Cavalry Ground or through Ghazi Road via ‘Qainchi’ next to the Packages factory. The factory is now a mall and the society is near reaching the road.

Another development and access point is the ‘Rohi Nala’. Perhaps it is a view of picturesque water vistas or being able to take a whiff of the fresh air that makes it a popular site for residential societies. What used to be an area comprising industries fronting the ‘nala’ and vast agricultural lands at the back is turning to housing societies.

While there is apparently nothing wrong with the development itself, apart from the strain that it will put on the infrastructure in what is already a much congested part of the city, the cause of concern is what it will do to the agricultural land and the locals. Seeing the exorbitant rates prevailing within these societies, the local opt for two options: either they carve out their own small societies or hold onto their land hoping to charge a premium from these large societies. In the first option; these people neither have the financial means or connections to corridors of power, to get all the requisite approvals or utilities. So while astronomical rates prevail within the larger societies, over the walls, pittance is charged. The usual result is that they end up sacrificing agriculture land, productivity and in the worst cases face financial ruin. This allows the large societies to gobble them up at their convenience.

In the other scenario the holding onto land is pointless, since these larger societies have numerous ways to force you to sell your land: from blocking access to building walls and even going to the lengths of surrounding your site with garbage. It is than probably the sane choice to negotiate with these societies and get the best returns.

What this ultimately leads to people with little money, no productivity and a serious loss to agriculture. Even if the older generation wants to retain their land and lifestyle, there are family pressures to sell. An old local narrated the problem of possessing property surrounding these posh societies dramatically. “Knowing the prevailing rates, the children hanker for money. They are like scavengers sitting and waiting for the donkey to die, to be able to have their pound of flesh.”

Perhaps not this grim but the uneven David and Goliath contest needs to be regulated. A certain land area criteria for societies needs to be defined, legislation to protect small landholders and safeguards enacted for agricultural land. If not regulated our idyllic suburbia dream might turn into a nightmare. — (AmLahori@gmail.com)

Published in Dawn, September 3rd, 2018