While effecting displacement of people for
development and infrastructure projects, the humanitarian aspect of the issue
should be kept uppermost in mind. The issue needs restraint, but it is seen
somewhat missing during anti-encroachment drives in the country. At a recent
event in Karachi, researchers involved in urban planning and displacements
resulting from encroachments’ removal had in-depth discussions on these issues.
They gave their input for the authorities and the population so that they can
carefully tread the path. Displacements resulting from even the need for
infrastructure development should be avoided. Though the authorities promise
the affected people compensation for their lands, sometimes they are not paid
any compensation or very little of it. In some cases, the affectees are
entirely forgotten.
Experts at the discussions, especially
renowned urban planner Arif Hasan, emphasised the need for anti-encroachment
actions with a human face. Last year in Karachi, the municipal authorities
carried out a major exercise to remove encroachments on their lands and against
unauthorised structures. The main focus of the drive was to retrieve lands of
the Karachi Circular Railway. The experts rightly observed that resistance from
the affectees is weakened due to ethnic and other differences.
Encroachers in our country are quite
resourceful. In the 1960s in Karachi, some people had illegally built houses on
KMC land. When the KMC gave them the final warning that they would remove the
illegal structures the next day, what they found that graves had appeared
overnight in front of every house. This prevented the authorities from
demolishing those houses.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 5th,
2019.