SWAT: Civil society activists have criticised the district administration for overlooking the encroachments along the Swat River and streams.

They expressed their concern at a meeting held in Mingora here the other day.

The participants, who included among others Fazal Khaliq, Ijazullah, Amjad Ali, Imtiaz Khan, Talha Sadiq and Sajjad Ahmad, said since the caretaker government took charge in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, land mafia had started encroaching upon the banks of river and streams.

“Influential people have encroached upon Swat River near Fizagat by diverting water flow. During the previous government, strict action was taken against those who had constructed buildings in the waterway,” Amjad Ali said, adding it was strange that the district administration had completely ignored the encroachments.

The civil society activists said they had informed the district administration about the encroachments and land-grabbing several times, but the officials were unmoved.

“A few days ago, an illegal car parking was established close to the riverbed near the Fizagat Park. I informed officials of the district administration about it, but no action was taken against the land grabbers,” Saeed Khan, a resident of Mingora said, adding a vast area of the river had also been encroached upon near the Peshawar High Court’s Mingora Bench by constructing protection walls.

The activists pointed out that the land mafia had diverted the river water using heavy machinery. They said the encroachments were underway in full swing, but the relevant departments and district administration officials were tight-lipped.

“Constructions along the River Swat have been going on for about two months despite a ban under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa River Protection (Amendment) Act, 2014” said Fayaz Khan, a local resident, adding after the floods, the previous government had taken strict action against the land mafia, but ironically the caretaker government and the district administration had neglected the illegal activity.

The civil society activists said they would soon organise a big gathering against the illegal constructions on the riverbed.

When contacted, Swat deputy commissioner Irfanullah Khan Wazir said he would check if there were constructions taking place on the riverbed.

Published in Dawn, June 22nd, 2023