Karachi: Satellite survey of Katchi Abadis on anvil

[Naveed Yaseen]

By Fasahat Mohiuddin
Plans are underway to conduct a satellite survey of Katchi Abadis across Pakistan, including Sindh, in an attempt to identify their locations and provide them with necessary facilities, disclosed Local Government Federal Secretary, Saleem Khan Jhagra, while talking to The News from Islamabad.

Jhagra said that this scientific survey would identify Katchi Abadis as well as illegal settlements, and following the survey, no new Katchi Abadi would be accepted and neither would anyone be allowed to encroach public land in future, he said.

The survey will be carried out by Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) and Geographical Survey of Pakistan, as part of the “Survey and Development Plan of Katchi Abadis” which is being conducted under the auspices of prime minister’s 100-day action plan.

It may be noted that here that Katchi Abadis are a major problem is Karachi, as several of these Abadis burgeon from nowhere and residents of these Abadis claim that they had been living there since decades. The issue remains chronic, and the Lyari Expressway’s south bound carriageway cannot be completed if the settlements adjacent to Lyari River are not removed.

According to Jhagra, there are at least 700 Katchi Abadis in Sindh, of which more than half are in Karachi. The last survey of Katchi Abadis was conducted in 1985, and there was an immediate need for a fresh survey as Katchi Abadis have been growing by the day. “A full stop to the issue has to be put at some stage, and this can only be done through a satellite survey, as manual surveys were not possible at the moment,” he said.

Jhagra said that the Centre wanted to assist all provinces in the matter, especially Sindh, where the issue of Katchi Abadis was more serious. “Provinces are autonomous and the Centre is just trying to assist them in this regard,” he said. Most Katchi Abadis were located on railway land, and therefore the Railways had agreed to cooperate with the Centre for this satellite survey, he added.

He said that the government would also seek help from former Katchi Abadis Director General, Tasneem Siddiqi, to utilize his expertise for the purpose.

The Punjab government updated Katchi Abadis till 2006, and three Katchi Abadis had been regularized in Islamabad, he said. “The other two provinces don’t have that many Katchi Abadis, and once the survey is complete, Katchi Abadis in Sindh would be provided with necessary facilities,” he added.

Former Prime Minister, Mohammed Khan Junejo, had also regularised some Katchi Abdis, and announced that after this no such settlement would be accepted.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=164454