KARACHI, Sept 18: At least 116 buildings are being constructed illegally in just three towns — Lyari, Saddar and Liaquatabad — of the city either with the connivance of or due to the inefficiency of the Karachi Building Control Authority.
Highly placed sources said the KBCA while partly accepting the blame for gross violations of the building laws also pointed fingers at police, influential people of the area and non-governmental organisations for the menace.
The sources said that Lyari Town topped the list with at least 61 buildings where illegal construction was going on at a fast pace, followed by Saddar Town where 39 buildings were being constructed in violation of the building laws. Liaquatabad Town trailed behind with at least 16 buildings under illegal construction, they said.
In most cases, the sources said, construction was not being carried out in accordance with the building plans approved by the KBCA. The violations included construction of additional floors, encroaching on compulsory open spaces, adjoining streets and roads. Besides, violators had not submitted building plans with the KBCA to get the mandatory approval in many cases. The builders were carrying out construction without any fear, the sources added.
Lyari Town
The plots on which illegal construction is going on in Lyari Town are: Plot Nos 282-283 Moosa Lane; 280, 235, 237 and 238 Mira Pir in Moosa Lane; 108 Ly-10 Moosa Lane; 1360 Khadda; 2674 Nawababad Street No 16; AK1-8S, 2D Moghal Apartment in Liaquat Colony; 118/2 and 118/3, Street 11, Al-Falah Road in Bihar Colony; 195/2, Street 20, H Road Bihar Colony; 46 G, Al-Falah Road in Bihar Colony; 124, Bihar Colony (560 new number); 67/2, Fisherman Society, Khadda; 12/17, LY, Mauripur, Lyari; 16&23/52, Dhobi Ghat, Baghdadi, D.D. Chaudhry Road, Lyari, LY 2, Survey No 176, old survey No K 1/280, and KML Lease 857, 858, Khadda, Lyari; 47 Bihar Colony, Lyari Quarters; 126-K-24-6-S-110/C New Kumharwara, Lyari; 97, B Road, Bihar Colony; 734-735, D Road, Bihar Colony; LY 12/62-63, Lyari Quarters; 545, I Road, Bihar Colony; 975, Bihar Colony; 1151 A and 1152, Khadda; 954, G Road, Bihar Colony, Lyari Quarters; 938, Street 18/19, Al Falah Road, Bihar Colony; 15 LY 38, Lyari Quarters; K 3/1 LY6, Khadda; 841 (10 K 1A), Liaquat Colony; LY 7/33/1 Lyari Quarters; LY 12/85, Lea Market, Lyari; LY 12/64, D.D. Chaudhry Road, Lea Market; 96 Abdullah Manzil, Street No 1, Khadda Market; Lea 3/3 & 4, Lyari; 16LY 17, near Noorani Cold Drinks, Lyari; 690/691 Street No AK 1-65-20, Street No 1, Liaquat Colony; 2216, New Kumharwara; 320, Street No 7, C Road, Bihar Colony; 1599, Khadda Lyari; 320, Street No 7, C Road, Bihar Colony; LY 12/3, Moosa Lane; 2111, Nawabad, Lyari; Madressa near Gunji Pictchered Road; LY 7/18, Moosa Lane; 11/44, Moosa Lane; 1608, Nawabad; 472, C Road, Bihar Colony; 31 LY 11, Moosa Lane; 878 & 173, Fisherman Society, Khadda; 744, Bihar Colony; 10/91, Moosa Lane; 2342, Gali No 2 & 3, Nawabad; 174/174A/ 175/175A, Khadda Market; 580, Bihar Colony; 26 Lea 3, Lyari; 61 LY 12, Lyari; 2419, Kara Bai Karam Jee Road, Nawabad; 1594, Khadda; 191/192, Agra Taj Colony; 560 Bihar Colony (old number 124/3) 12th & 13th Street, F Road and plot No 227, Agra Taj Colony.
Saddar Town
In Saddar, illegal construction is going on at the following addresses: 62/2, HV2, Harchandrai Vishandas Quarters; 35 RC 3, 393, 394 and 396 RC 4, and 12/4 RC 11, in Ranchore Quarters; 6, 21, 149, 128 and 150 in Garden West; 1206 and 1764 in Jinnahabad; 5/2/2 LR6, 9 (G6) LR 7, 16 LR 7, 24 LR 9, and 19 LR 10 in Lawrence Road Quarters; 8 NP 4, 24 NP 5, and 51 NP 5 in Napier Quarters; 8/2D, GK 2, 3 GK 3, 28 GK 3, 87 GK 7, 4 GK 7 and 74 GK 7 in Ghulam Hussain Kasim Quarters; 7 OT 1, 43 OT 8, and 63 OT 1 in Old Town Quarters; 74 and 174 RS 2, 37 and 48 RS 4 in Ram Swami Quarters; 61 and 89 MR 5 in Market Quarters; 33 BR 1 in Bunder Quarters; 40 SR in Serai Quarters; 112 LY 19 in Lyari Quarters; and 53 WO 2 in Wadhumal Odharam Quarters.
Liaquatabad Town
The plots on which illegal construction is going on in Liaquatabad Town are: 4/9, III F, Nazimabad; 12/8, III F Nazimabad; 2/24, III A, Nazimabad; 11/17, III F, Nazimabad; 4/22, III B, Nazimabad; 7/1, III C, Nazimabad; 7/11, III H, Nazimabad; 5/17, III F, Nazimabad; 28/57, III B, Nazimabad; 12/18, III F, Nazimabad; 2/5, III F, Nazimabad; 10/20, III G, Nazimabad; 1/2, III G, Nazimabad; 6/12, FCHS and 44/26, B I Area, LQT.
Responding to Dawn queries, KBCA chief controller Manzoor Qadir cited negligence of KBCA staffers for the illegal construction. Other reasons which he mentioned were owners’ resistance, vested interests operating in the area, non-cooperation of police during the demolition operation, and blackmailing of non-governmental organisations. However, apparently in a bid to protect his staff he did not mention connivance of KBCA officials.
He said that police assistance was rarely provided and many a time his staff came under attack and sustained injuries. He said he had forwarded a similar report about illegal construction to the minister, requesting him to approach the home department and help the KBCA demolition staff get the police assistance.
The KBCA chief maintained that once the illegal construction was sealed and an FIR was registered it became the responsibility of police to ensure that the seal was not tempered with. However, police did not act when unscrupulous elements broke the seal, he added.
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