KARACHI, Jan 13: Like elsewhere in the city, encroachment is one of the major problems in Saddar and Lyari areas where people are certain that the menace cannot be controlled at the union council or town level and hope that all agencies concerned may chalk out a joint strategy sooner rather than later to fight it.

The residents say encroachment has become a thriving business and cannot be run without the support of higher authorities. In view of past experiences, they say the agencies have to take it seriously and fight it jointly, for illegal structures reappeared after each anti-encroachment drive initiated by the local authorities.

Several anti-encroachment drives have been launched in Saddar and Lyari towns over the past few years, they say, adding that the municipal authorities always faced a lot of difficulties to consolidate its gains mainly because they could not get the desired response from certain government agencies.

A survey of main markets and commercial areas of Saddar and Lyari towns shows that encroachers are still occupying the spots from where they were driven out.

In Lyari, encroachers have occupied even the surface of storm-water drains to raise illegal structures, area people say, citing Madina Market and Pitured Road Nullah as a couple of examples.

Besides, workshops have been built and hoardings have been installed on footpaths along the boundary walls of schools, hospitals and other public places. Also, a wide portion of road adjacent to the institutions and their main gates are often found blocked with parking of vehicles. Schoolchildren, patients and pedestrians have to face trouble in finding access to schools, hospitals and public places due to the heavy encroachment on a daily basis. The government schools at Chakiwara, Juna Kumharwara and Shah Latif Bhitai roads are worst affected by the illegal parking.