Dec 12th

Treatment Plant-II Land Scam-CDGK Utilized TP-II land illegally
A 115-acre plot in Mehmoodabad, which the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) has utilized for the resettlement of the affectees of Lines Area, legally belongs to the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB), allocated for the expansion of Treatment Plant II (TP-II).
The plot is being used for the TP-II, it is also being used as a storage ground for goods impounded in anti-encroachment drives. In the past some parties have tried many times to utilize some of the TP-II land but were not allowed to expand the graveyard or construct a park or any other facility. However, now the CDGK is merrily violating all the rules and regulations by using the land as an alternate accommodation for the affected people of Lines Area, the CDGK Works and Services Department demarcated a total of 1,264 plots on the 50-acre empty portion of TP-II and allowed the encroachers to occupy the KWSB land, reserved for the treatment plant.
Earlier, Mr. Ghani, an opposition leader in CDGK House on a point of order, had attempted to raise the issue on the city council floor but the City Naib Nazim Nasreen Jalil and a couple of other treasury members had barred him from doing so. He even tried to read out a letter (No DO-I/Z-II/W&S/CDGK/08/165) issued by the CDGK Works and Services Department District Officer Shakoor Pathan, requesting the KWSB managing director to allow the demarcation of plots and other proposed facilities.

Now the current status of the land is that, KWSB is planning to expand TP-II under S-III Project but sufficient land is not available to properly design the plant in an affordable cost. In fact KPT had taken up the S-III Project and contributing towards S-III by proposing a plant (60 mgd Capacity) at Mai kolachi but that piece of land is also under litigation. If, in case that proposal is not materialized, KWSB has no other option but to divert all flows to TP-II and enhanced its existing capacity. But this is not possible in the present scenario as a large piece of land has been encroached upon by the affetees of Lines area project. Since the site is the best suited place for the treatment facility, it should not be used for any other purpose other than its specified use.

Once again, we as concerned citizens of Karachi, request to the Chief Justice of Pakistan to gather all the facts, which have not been stated by the concerned authorities, and order an immediate inquiry to restore the original status of the land. In the past SC has made many historic verdicts and did not compromise on the doctrine of necessacity. The attorney General who has been assigned this task to implement the S-III project is hereby also requested to look into the issue and clear all ambiguities before the honorable court and provide them actual facts of the case. This is in the best interest of all.



This syndicated post originally appeared at on 12 December 2010