KARACHI, July 18: A major anti-encroachment operation was launched in Gutter Baghicha to clear the way for construction of a national park.

The plan to convert the Gutter Baghicha into a park was announced by the President in his April 28th speech when he announced that the glory of Karachi would be restored.

The President had directed the federal and provincial governments to take appropriate steps for the execution of the project.

At a recent meeting chaired by the DCO, a number of decisions were taken to execute the project as desired by the President.

Consequently, an anti-encroachment plan was prepared to remove all illegal hydrants and other illegal structures from the land.

On Wednesday and Thursday, the City Government, with the collaboration of SITE Nazim and Law enforcement agencies, put its anti-demolition machinery into operation.

During the past two days, more than 50 illegal hydrants were dismantled and a vast area of illegal cultivation land was cleared from poisonous vegetables. The operation was continued for the second day on Thursday.

Due to illegal hydrants, mostly connected with nearly industrial units, there was an acute shortage in Shershah, Pak Colony, Rexer Lane, Hasan Aulia Village and Old Golimar.

Talking to Dawn, the Nazim of SITE Town, Amir Nawab Khan, conceded that over 50 hydrants were dismantled in Tuesday’s operation.

He said the operation would continue till all types of encroachments creating obstructions in the development of park would be removed.

When this reporter visited the cultivation land site on Wednesday, the demolition squad of the City Government was seen busy in dismantling an illegal hydrants used by a factory owner.

Area residents claim that there were several illegal underground water connections provided to industrialists. They accused the water mafia of directing the water lines from residential areas to industrial areas and chemical units.

For years Pak Colony in SITE Town has been hub of water mafia activity where it had established illegal hydrants in collaboration with the water mafia and local police.

A number of fatal incidents also took place due to operation of water tankers operating in the localities in the periphery of Gutter Baghicha.

Not only that the land mafia had always been active in the area, they had occupied a vast area of land in Mewashaah graveyard but also possessed a sizable area of land for cultivation purposes.

They used poisonous water released by chemical units for cultivating vegetables. These hazardous vegetables were sold in the market.

A senior citizen told this scribe that Gutter Bhagicha was once a great source of natural attraction because of its greenery and flowers and there were different species of birds but they vanished with the passage of time.

He said the whole scenic beauty of the land was destroyed by the encroachers.

A decision to develop the land for establishment of a park was taken recently by the City Government keeping in view the wish of the area people.

Last week, a meeting was held under the chairmanship of DCO which discussed the ant-encroachment operation and steps to be taken for the development of a park.

The meeting decided to conduct a survey on hydrants working in the area and to remove all the illegal hydrants. It was also decided to erect barbed wires to safeguard the vacant land.

It was decided that in the first phase, park will be developed on the available land and development work of roads should be carried out through KPP, specially in front of Site Public School.

For quite some years, area residents have been complaining about the use of chemical water in vegetables, but no attention was paid.

A resident of the area said the main cause of encroachment was the facility provided to the encroachers by the KESC and the KWSB.

With the demolition all open and illegal hydrants, water supply position in the surrounding areas is likely to improve, a CBO activists.

Last week, in a similar operation, authorities also dismantled an big hydrant near Loveland Bridge (Garden Bridge).

A senior resident suggested that the operation be monitored and supervised by army so as encroachers should not return back.

In fact, he said it would be better that the construction work should be handed to the army. He also demanded that chemical units and marble factories built in the surrounding areas of the Baghicha be shifted from residential areas to save the people from environmental pollution.