KARACHI, Dec 16: The warehousing facilities in the residential areas of the old city, including Saddar and Lyari towns, have been creating multifarious problems, a survey shows.

The residents have urged the government to immediately shift the warehousing facilities from these areas.

They say that the mushrooming growth of factories and industrial units in the residential areas of old towns has converted the whole area into a goods carriers terminus.

A survey shows that more than 200 industrial units and godowns are operating in the residential areas of Lyari Town only. The residents say that since the government is now set to construct an expressway on the banks of the Lyari River, it must immediately shift the warehousing facilities from Lyari as well as Saddar towns.

They argue that these facilities have polluting the enivronment and created health problems.

They maintain that most warehousing units were granted temporarily leases in the 40s and 50s by the then deputy collector and have been categorised as CDC plots. Despite the fact that the lease period of many units has expired, they continue to operate because of their influence and connections.

Lyari has a total area of 1800 acres (87,12600 sq yds). Its residential area is 60,98,400 sq yds (70 per cent), commercial and industrial area is 17,42,400 sq yds (20 per cent).

According to an NGO survey, only 10 per cent area is reserved for health, educational, graveyard and recreational purposes for a population comprising nearly 1.6 million.

For quite some time NGOs and CBOs of the area have been demanding shifting of all industrial units from different localities to save the people from health hazards.

In 1998 the then government set up a committee for taking necessary measures regarding shifting of such units.

The decision followed a local NGO’s complaint about the operation of two units in a residential area, posing serious health hazards.

Later a committee was set up to determine the criterion for shifting and to compile a list of such establishments which could be categorised for shifting. It was then followed by the preparation of a list indicating 200 units operating in the area.

The committee was expected to formulate its recommendations within 10 days for the shifting of such units at suitable industrial locations. But no action was taken and the matter was put into cold storage.