KARACHI: Mangroves being ruined, land sold at high prices
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, July 24: A senior director of the Fishermen Cooperative Society has held the ‘land mafia’ and certain officials of different government agencies responsible for ruining the coastal areas of Karachi.
Haji Mohammad Yunis, who represents the fishermen communities of Hawkesbay, Yunisabad and Shams Pir on the FCS Board of Directors, said it was an open secret that the land mafia in connivance with these officials were destroying mangroves by resorting to grabbing more and more land.
In a statement issued here on Sunday, he said that during a recent meeting held at the Governor’s House, the prevailing condition of the coastal areas was discussed.
The meeting was chaired by Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad and attended, among others, by officials of the concerned department, as well as a representative of the World Wide Fund for Nature. However, a true picture of the situation was not presented and facts about the coastal areas were not brought to the knowledge of the governor.
Haji Yunis particularly blamed the KPT, saying it was one of the agencies that had been causing a massive destruction to mangroves along the coastal belt.
“Officials of the KPT are indulged in grabbing precious lands on Mai Kolachi Road after destroying mangrove sites and the lands are sold at high prices,” he alleged.
In the same way, mangroves sites in Salehabad, Shams Pir and Baba Bhit were also being destroyed. He regretted that the WWF had failed to fulfil its responsibility of protecting these natural sites. He also accused the WWF representative at the meeting of hiding facts while briefing the meeting about the prevailing conditions.
He pointed out that the lands, right from the ICI Bridge to Hawkesbay truck stand, worth billions of rupees had been sold away by the government agencies. It was no more a secret that the lands in Shireen Jinnah Colony, Seaview, Clifton and Defence had also been sold away.
Haji Yunis said due to the land-grabbing policy of these agencies, millions of fishermen had been rendered jobless and homeless.
He urged the governor to visit the coastal areas and meet people living there to ascertain facts.
