KARACHI: Land near heritage site given to industry
By Hasan Mansoor
KARACHI, Feb 26: The revenue department has allotted over 68 acres adjacent to the historic Chaukandi Graveyard in Bin Qasim Town which is a heritage site. This action has threatened the very existence of the historic tombs and created a huge hue and cry among the local population who want parks and other entertainment-oriented projects on this land.
Well sources told DAWN that the Land Utilisation Department, Government of Sindh allotted 68-15 acres in Deh Kantho of Bin Qasim Town to a private firm M/S Precious Industrial Park and entry in official record of Rights (Village Form II) was made in September last year.
The allowing of industrial activity adjacent to a heritage site which is regarded as the most frequented place by Karachiites spawned a great hue and cry, which culminated on Saturday when the Bin Qasim Town Council passed a resolution unanimously denouncing industrial activity in the area.
Syed Yousuf Shah, a member of the Town Council moved a resolution in which he said the then provincial government in 1994-95 had allocated some 80 acres of the land located between the graveyard and the National Highway for District Malir Complex, which included hospitals, parks and other projects of public interest.
“But, after the inception of the city government, this plan was suspended,” he said, adding, the people and public representatives were engaged in constant correspondence with CDGK officials to establish a 100-bed hospital and a park in front of Chaukandi Graveyard but no action was taken.
The resolution said the revenue department had allotted 68-15 acres from the same piece of land to a private firm despite its status as an amenity plot. “This land is property of people and Bin Qasim Town and we deem it illegal to allot it to a private firm. We demand of the government to allocate this land for the betterment and welfare of the people of area,” said the resolution.
Investigations show the deputy district officer (revenue), Bin Qasim Town CDG Karachi, has written to the Town Police Officer of the Bin Qasim Town saying that this piece of land had been allotted by the provincial revenue department to Precious Industrial Park that had started work on the site i.e. construction of boundary wall etc.
“But, some miscreants and land grabbers are creating hindrance in smooth construction work of the project as reported by the manager Precious Industrial Park, hence requested legal assistance,” claimed the DDO (Rev) in the letter. He requested the TPO to provide security provide legal assistance to the said company “so that foreign investors could continue their investment without any fear”.
However, experts say whenever the tribal people established this graveyard (16th Century onwards) they chose the grounds which were high and at vantage to be seen from all around. It rendered grace and majesty to their highly decorated or carved tombs.
“To deprive this historic place of its setting is against the heritage principles,” said an expert. He said the place filled with these stone-carved graves is the most frequented tourist site in whole of Karachi as borne out by the visitors’ book. “There should be a park to promote the site. Instead, the government has embarked on a path that threatens the very existence of the historic tombs by creating an industrial estate violating the Antiquities Act by allotting even the transit area.”
“These tombs are made of very fine Gizri sandstone that fares very badly against the industrial and automobile exhausts, and the resultant corrosion affects the calcareous stone and the relief/carved designs lose their strength and become dull,” said Dr Kaleemullah Lashari, an eminent archaeologist, who has conducted an exhaustive study on the stone-carved graves.
The experts said the government should have consulted the department of environment before putting huge industrial area in the middle of the populated locality.
“One wonders will these industries be able to clear through the environment assessment impact or is the government machinery that will get them through,” remarked another expert.
According to Dr Lashari such funeral structures are unique in their content and design and are found nowhere in the world except Sindh and Balochistan.
