KARACHI, Oct 20: Resistance against the proposed Diamond City project, to be executed on the twin islands off Port Qasim, is building up as the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum and representatives of other civil society organisations have constantly expressing their reservations, saying that the project will cast a negative impact on the economy and ecosystem of the country in general and of the Indus delta region in particular.

Describing the allotment of the two islands to a Dubai-based firm for developing a modern city, they believe the move is a gross violation of the historical right of the fishing communities and is bound to invite an environmental disaster.

At a representative gathering, held on Friday in a local hotel, they touched upon various aspects of the perceived negative impact of the controversial project.

According to speakers at the gathering, that 17 major and several minor creeks along with vast mangroves lands of Karachi, Thatta and Badin districts form the Indus delta. About 90 per cent of the population of this region depends on fishing and its related activities for livelihood.

The proposed settlement on the two islands will seriously damage the ecology and marine life due to the quantum increase in the urban discharges. Nearly 70 per cent of the total industry of Pakistan is located in Karachi, including the Bin Qasim industrial area and their untreated effluents are discharged in the Arabian Sea.

The Landhi Industrial Estate and Korangi Industrial Area discharge more than 23 million gallon per day (mgd) effluent into the mangrove mudflats of the Korangi Creek whereas thermal pollution is increasing due to the discharge from the Steel Mills directly into the Gharo Creek.

While the debate over the validity of the moves by Port Qasim Authority and Defence Housing Authority to give away the islands to the Dubai-based firm continues, it appeared that the city government has also supported the idea of developing the Diamond City.

In this context, fishermen community representatives referred to their meeting at the Governor’s House on February 23 this year to discuss the issues relating to the land ownership of one of the two islands, Bundal Island, and its future land use. Sindh governor, senior minister for excise and taxation, senior member of the Board of Revenue, member land utilization of the BoR, secretary local government, CDGK nazim, DCO Karachi, EDO and DO master plan and EDO revenue were among those who attended the meeting.

The senior member BoR had informed the meeting that Bundal Island, spread over an area of about 6,000 acres, was owned by the Sindh government of Sindh and at the time of the creation of the PQA, this island had not been included in its area of operation.

The meeting had also been informed that the PQA had given away 2,700 acres of land to the Pakistan Navy without any authority and that the DHA had also put of its claim on the land and had approached the president in this regard.

According to sources, Sindh governor had suggested a joint meeting of the PQA, Pakistan Navy, DHA and Sindh government to settle the issue of the ownership of the land. However, the senior minister for excise and taxation had maintained that Bundal Island had never been allotted to the PQA, which had not either the authority to give away the lands to Pakistan Navy or DHA. As such, there was no need to invite the PN or DHA to the meeting. Instead, he had suggested, that BoR should prepare a working paper, according to the sources.

The CDGK nazim was of the view that Bundal Island could be developed as an offshore economic hub of Pakistan. In support of this idea, EDO master plan offered preparing a land use plan for Bundal Island, and the idea had been appreciated by the governor.

The governor had said that such a development work should be undertaken after looking into taxation matters and whether the project was economically viable for international bidders. Sources claimed that the governor had also stated that the provincial government could assign this task to the city government.

At that meeting, it had been decided that the BoR will prepare a working paper on land title in chronological order; after an in-house discussion with the AG Sindh, secretary law and Sindh government, a clear cut stand of the provincial government will be submitted to the governor; the master plan group of offices will prepare a conceptual land-use plan of Bundal Island, which will include the possibility of establishing a diplomatic enclave, offshore financial district, hotels, recreational spots, water sports, residential area, etc.

Recently, the federal government has inked a contract with the UAE-based firm, Emaar, for developing the twin islands as a new city of international standard on the threshold of Port Qasim. The design of the proposed project will be prepared on the pattern of that of Dubai. The estimated cost of the mega project has been put at $43 billion.

The Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum strongly condemned this decision maintaining that it would devastate the local fishing communities by destroying the ecosystem and marine life, thus depriving thousands of fishermen of their livelihood. “This project is totally anti-human and illegitimate in its essence,” the PFF says, apprehending that the project would inflict poverty and hunger on eight million fishermen and their family members, historical inhabitants of coastal areas traditionally earning their livelihood along the Sindh coast.

The government’s point of view is that this project will create employment opportunities for local people.

In May 2006, Emaar had announced three real estate development projects in the cities of Islamabad and Karachi. The projects, involving a total investment of $2.4 billion, included a series of master planned communities and all three projects are expected to be completed in the next four-five years.

The two projects in Islamabad are the ‘Highlands’ and ‘Canyon Views’ with 1,500 acres of land existing between them, offering 9,000 luxury single-family town houses and villas. The Highlands is located within the Defence Housing Authority, Islamabad (DHA-I Phase 1 Extension) whereas Canyon Views project is located in the DHA-I Phase 2 Extension.

According to the official website of the group, the proposed project for Karachi is named as Crescent Bay. It is a 75- acre piece of land with construction featuring high and mid-rise towers for residential and commercial use, a shopping centre and a five-star beachfront hotel. The towers will house 4,000 residential apartments. Crescent Bay is located in Karachi’s DHA Phase-8 and in close proximity to the DHA Golf Course.

Meanwhile, newspapers have started carrying news stories on the Diamond City project, describing the deal as ‘non-transparent’. Some of the reports suggested that the chief minister had been kept unaware of the deal.

The PQA and the Emaar Group are likely to ink an agreement to initiate this joint venture providing 15,000 housing units and commercial facilities. The two islands will be connected with Defence Phase-8 through a 1.5-km-long bridge, cost of which will be a hefty sum of $50 million (approx. Rs3 billion). According to the plan, the Emaar Group would invest about $43 billion (Rs2,600 billion) over the next 13-16 years in the project.