Karachi: Mirza Adam Khan Road: half landfill, half encroachment

[Naveed Yaseen]

By Jan Khaskheli
Smoke covers the Lyari Expressway Project starting point as the Mirza Adam Khan Road is engulfed in fumes from burning garbage littered along the road.

Part of the major road which helps connect Keamari, Saddar, Site, Garden and Lyari towns is being used as a garbage dump while one of its lanes has been encroached upon. Lyari Town Municipal Officer Afaq Saeed told The News that the maintenance of the road located along the Lyari Expressway Project is the responsibility of the City District Government Karachi (CDGK).

The government and civic bodies concerned, howeverm have forgotten Mirza Adam Khan Road that links Mauripur road to Garden. The road has reportedly been occupied by encroachers who use a wide portion for commercial purposes. Lyari Town officials told The News that they have received complaints from locals that trucks carrying solid waste from other town administrations have been dumping waste along the road while unaware people continue to burn it daily, polluting the entire neighbourhood. However, now, he claimed they have deployed staffers at some points to check if truckloads are dumping waste there.

Lyari Town officials also took the matter to the CDGK authorities. According to one official, on rare occasions when the town authorities are able to persuade the CDGK officials, the garbage is actually shifted to the proper dumping sites. The CDGK has purchased 200 vehicles but has not provided a single vehicle to Lyari Town for lifting garbage.

Now the town is using its limited resources to lift 250 to 300 tonnes of garbage daily, which is affecting its budget allocated for the uplift schemes. He said around 74 tons of garbage is being dumped on the road daily by neighbouring union councils. CDGK sends vehicles once or twice a week to clean heaps. However, even minor delays by the CDGK cause immense inconveniences to the residents.

He said that the CDGK officials want Lyari Town to provide diesel for vehicles to lift garbage, which the Town authorities can not afford, due to their limited resources.

Lyari Town spokesperson also said that the Town Anti-encroachment cell has planned to demolish illegal infrastructure along the roadside to keep it clean. She said it was being done on the complaints from the local people that they are facing problems while traveling through the dilapidated road.

Mirza Adam Khan road was major project launched 15-20 years ago to reduce the distance for people residing in the area. It was said to be the modern road with all facilities. But later the project was abandoned as it was resisted due to the presence of three mosques in the area.

Since then the road has not been used properly. There has been no maintenance and with the conception of the Lyari Expressway Project, Mirza Adam Khan Road has been turned into a dumping site while encroachers have found it useful for their businesses and set up shops and garages.

The area activists say conditions on Mirza Adam Khan Road reflected the performance of the civic agencies. Despite claims to keep the roads and streets clean, the major road has been discarded, allowing land grabbers to flourish their business there.

Though, the Lyari Town administration claims to have launched an anti-encroachment campaign in the area to demolish illegal infrastructure, on the ground there is no change, activists said. According to them, common people are alienated from the situation and the influential are on a land encroachment rampage.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=174761