KARACHI, March 16: Speakers at a seminar on “role of architects and town-planners in new city government setup” blamed lack of town-planning and its implementation as the root cause of negative development of cities and corruption regarding land.

The seminar was held under the aegis of Pakistan Council of Architects and Town-Planners. The speakers on this occasion stressed the need for a master plan of Karachi and informed about spatial growth of the city whose population is expected to be doubled within next 15 years. They also criticised that the master plan department of the city government was without an EDO.

Most of the speakers blamed the authorities for not giving due importance to master plans of their respective cities and said corruption and improper land-use was one of major reasons that no master plan was approved for Karachi.

It was informed that Karachi had become a mega-city spreading over 1,800 km but there were 14 different land-owning agencies in the city working on independent lines.

The main problems faced by the city were shortage of water, huge flowing of untreated sewerage into the sea and solid waste problem which are growing due to unplanned growth of Karachi.

Raza Ali, senior consultant with NRB, informed about the devolution plan and participation of town-planners in the process.

He presented an over-view of urban development pattern in Pakistan and increasing rate of flow of population to urban areas.

Karachi, like most of urban centres of Pakistan, is faced with a rise in slums and the development agencies have made no plans for low-cost housing schemes, he added.

Ali Raza said that despite an option in devolution plan for a town- planner, practically it is not feasible for the government to hire town-planners for 622 UCs in the country.

He said that the NRB had been working for developing better working relations between cantonment boards and the concerned civil agency and plans are under way for holding elections in cantonment boards.

Sabir P. Chohan, MD, NESPAK, deplored lack of initiative by professionals and said architects, town-planners and engineers must feel it their moral duty to raise their voice against lack of improper implementation of master plans.

Shah Mohammad Misbah, former DG of KDA, said there were going to be five city governments in Pakistan which are five provincial capitals and Islamabad all of whom have similar problems.

Shabih ul Hasan Zaidi also spoke.—PPI