THE unplanned demolition of Aladin Park in Karachi, which has been going on for over a month now, is playing havoc with the area residents. The pungent smell of gas leakage has become a matter of routine.

The gravity of the situation could be gauged from the fact that recently one of the spots at the site caught fire and fire brigade had to be called to douse it.

Initially, the area was a ‘no-go zone’ in the first phase of demolition, and the site was protected by a heavy contingent of police. But there is no protection at the moment and the site is the hub of activity of scavengers and those living in the nearby slums and localities.

While the bulldozers are busy razing down various entities within the fenced territory, the scavengers, drug addicts, labourers and other needy persons have made their way in the vicinity by knocking down a small piece of the fencing wall.

There is a great danger of the infringers getting electrocuted. They may also get caught by the fires that erupt in the vicinity almost every other day. Looking at the magnitude of recent conflagration, I am concerned about the people living in the surrounding areas. Besides, the area is engulfed by thick dust due to the demolition.

There are no security guards to monitor the activity. There are at least 200 rag-pickers at the site. Some of them use the abandoned swimming pool, some can be seen making good with the iron rods, while others just stroll around.

The government should have taken pre-emptive measures before starting the demolition. The residents of the area inhale the gas that emanates from burning plastic and dust that comes from the demolished structure.

The whole process is causing breathing problems, itching in the eyes, and there is pungent smell of burnt plastic in the air. I understand that the government had to demolish the structure on court orders, but the social cost of the demolition could have been reduced greatly had it been planned in a better way.

Farhan Ahmed
Karachi

Published in Dawn, July 26th, 2021