ON May 9, the Supreme Court’s Karachi registry ordered the removal of encroachments along the Karachi Circular Railway’s 45km route. As per reports, railway officials prided themselves in clearing nearly 28 per cent of the area in two days by bulldozing houses built on the railway land.

When asked about the rehabilitation of the displaced people, the official replied that it was the responsibility of the Sindh government and not that of the railway ministry. While the nightmarish Karachi traffic and toxic smoke need to be replaced with better alternatives, we also need environment-friendly and cost-effective transport. But should this be at the cost of displacing a large number of people, who have nowhere to go?

The quick-paced erasure of society’s unwanted ones can, in no way, be the testimony to the railways’ performance. Nothing can justify development if it fails to address the genuine issues of those affected by it.

The railway ministry needs to coordinate with the Sindh government to devise a comprehensive resettlement plan before launching on its ambitious quest of modernising the city’s transport.

It is pertinent to keep in mind that low-cost housing is the responsibility of the government, which has miserably failed in fulfilling its duty. The fact that Bahria Town is built upon the encroached land which was supposed to be used for low-cost housing, points to the fact that the State is ready to be hand in glove with the rich and powerful while turning its blind eye to the weaker segments of society. Schemes like “Naya Pakistan Housing” and “Ehsas” will yield no benefit if the might of the state is deployed to further the miseries of those who barely make their ends meet.

No development can be called real in essence unless it caters to the needs of weaker segments of society.

More than 4,623 families will be affected, if no resettlement plan is provided to the affectees of the KCR Project.

Gohar Ali Memon

Hyderabad

Published in Dawn, May 26th, 2019