Encroachments reappear at historical sites

[Naveed Yaseen]

* Ravi Town TMA says no proper system for coordination between TMA, police and departments to remove encroachments

By Rana Kashif

LAHORE: Several encroachments in and around the city’s historical sites have once again started to appear due to lack of coordination between the authorities concerned.

An official of the City District Government Lahore (CDGL), seeking anonymity, told Daily Times the encroachments amounted to damaging the historical sites that should be preserved, adding that they were a violation of the Supreme Court’s orders. He said kiosks, roadside vendors and parking lots had been set up around the monuments. He said the encroachments had been set up by the same people who had set them up earlier.

The official said encroachers were conducting their businesses without any fear of action, as the authorities concerned had not taken any action since their reappearance. He said the encroachments were present at every gate of the inner Lahore and at the Wazir Khan Mosque, adding that it was the Ravi Town Municipal Administration (TMA)’s responsibility to ensure that no encroachers were allowed at any historical site. The official said the TMA had launched an operation against encroachers about two years ago, but failed to ensure that no encroachers reappear.

Coordination: Ravi Town Municipal Officer (TMO) Ahmed Kamal admitted that there were encroachments around the historical sites. He said no TMA was uthorised to remove any encroachments until it had been issued directions by the competent authority. He said the TMA would also need the cooperation of the police if it were to carry out an anti-encroachment operation. He said the encroachments could not be removed until the TMA, police and the departments or authorities concerned fully cooperated with each another. He said so far there was no proper mechanism for coordination between the departments to address the issue. He said the Lahore commissioner was holding meetings with the departments concerned to form a strategy to address the issue. He said the project would hopefully be completed soon.

According to the details, the Supreme Court (SC) in 2007 ordered the removal of encroachments around all historical sites. Keeping in view the SC orders, the Punjab Archaeology Department, in collaboration with the Revenue Department, identified more than 400 areas in the Walled City where encroachments had to be removed from within 200 feet of historical buildings. The Ravi Town TMA conducted an operation against the encroachers, managing to successfully remove most of them. The operation was launched, as the court believed water, smoke, pollution, vibration and physical contact with the monuments could damage the historical sites. The anti-encroachment operation was conducted at the Wazir Khan Mosque, Delhi Gate, Sheranwala Gate, Kashmiri Gate and Jahangir’s Tomb. The Local Government Ordinance states that encroachers cam be imprisoned for up to six months and fined up to Rs 5,000 for movable encroachments and imprisoned for up to three years and fined up to Rs 15,000 for immovable encroachments.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...009_pg13_2