APROPOS the news report (Feb 24) that 213 acres of land is to be reclaimed from the Malir riverbed. Nature has provided Karachi three non-perennial small rivers namely Hub, Lyari and Malir.

These small rivers are natural outlets that developed over centuries and carry floodwater and rain water accumulated from the surrounding area to the sea, and not merely of upper catchments areas from Balochistan.

The Lyari River has been encroached upon on both banks by the Lyari Expressway, leaving the passage much narrower. Similarly, the Malir River bed has shrunk to become a medium nullah owing to illegal encroachments by the builders’ mafia and people of the area. Many times in the past, a heavy downpour in the catchments area of the Malir River has resulted in a super flood that caused colossal damage to men and material because most of the river-bed was encroached upon. Such situations do occur whenever there are heavy rains in the catchment areas of the river.

The serious threat posed to Karachiites in the rainy season for the last many years is because people have encroached on both banks of these channels, obstructing the outflow of the water.

We must take cue from Islamabad where the architects at the time of planning the city did not disturb the natural outlets of water and allowed them to remain in their original shape. Although Islamabad receives the highest rainfall in the country, these natural rivulets discharge excess water outside the city bounds, stopping any damage to the city.

Unfortunately, instead of clearing the river beds of illegal encroachments and harnessing the excess waters, it is the government who intends to carve out land from the Malir River. My suggestion is that we should not interfere with natural outlets.

The Sindh government should develop residential and industrial schemes elsewhere, and immediately remove the encroachments in the river bed to save Karachi from disaster.

Dr Kazi Khadim Hussain

Hyderabad

Published in Dawn, February 27th, 2015

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