Karachi city council opposition joins protest against work on watercourse — Dawn
In Karachi, Pakistan, city council opposition leader and lawyer Saifuddin joined a protest by residents of the Clifton area and civil society representatives against construction work on the Nehr-i-Khayyam watercourse. He spoke out against the commercial use of land along the watercourse and called on the Sindh provincial authorities to publish the project documentation.
As Dawn reports, Saifuddin inspected the construction work together with Jamaat-e-Islami party leader Taimur Ahmed, Clifton Residents Forum president Rasha Tariq, environmental activists Yasir Hussain and Ahmed Shabbar, civic activist Abdul Hamid Dagiya, and local residents.
Concerns over drainage
Protesters object to a project to turn the watercourse into narrow drainage channels. Saifuddin said that narrowing or blocking the natural channel could adversely affect rainwater drainage in Karachi, where significant amounts of water accumulate during the monsoon season.
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According to him, Nehr-i-Khayyam was originally a natural watercourse for rainwater, but gradually turned into a sewage channel. He supported residents' demand to lay separate drains or pipelines for wastewater, while restoring and keeping the rest of the channel open.
Demand for a technical assessment
The opposition politician demanded the publication of PC-1, an environmental impact assessment report, and other documents related to the project, as well as an explanation of the planned use of land along the watercourse. He said he would raise the issue in the city council and seek a review of the documentation by elected representatives.
Saifuddin also called for a technical assessment of the possible impact of the work on the city's drainage system and for proper measures for wastewater disposal and subsequent maintenance of the facility. He separately stressed the need to protect Karachi's other natural watercourses, including the Malir River.
