The ‘working draft of medium-term development framework’ (2005-10) estimates the urbanization level at 34 per cent and declares that Pakistan, “has now become the most urban country in South Asia”.
Urbanization is an offshoot of migration of labour from rural areas. This migration is caused by either growth in population incommensurate with demand of labour at farms or natural disasters such as drought or technological change such as mechanization. Any of these causes coupled with a desire to lead a better life draws migrants to cities.
Countries all over the globe have been experiencing this phenomenon of mass migration of surplus labour force to cities in search of employment. Pakistan is no exception to this trend where urban population is growing at 3.5 per cent annually. The pressure of this growth has been singularly striking in case of Karachi.
Karachi was endowed with a strategic natural port, infrastructure facilities such as water, electricity, roads and railways. The refugees – migrants from India on the eve of partition brought with them skills in textiles, leather, carpets, oil seed extraction, small steel items, furniture etc along with much-needed capital in a resource starved city. These factors offered proximity which generated positive externalities such as availability of infrastructure, finance, labour, information etc. Cost saving and productivity advantages that accrued to firms boosted economic activity all around.
The momentum of economic activity and availability of positive localization factors attracted migrants from all parts of the country for setting up small to medium sized industries, banks, insurance companies, import and export houses, wholesale and retail outlets and other activities. This upsurge in economic activity pushed the population of Karachi from 200,000 in 1947 to 9.6 million as per 1998 census. The population is estimated to have swelled up to 12 million by 2004.
This unprecedented growth in Karachi, as in other mega cities of the world, has spawned negative externalities of horrendous magnitude. These externalities were well recognized by the United Nations which organized the UN ‘conference on human settlements’ (Habitat) in Vancouver (Canada) in 1976 and the second Conference-Habitat II- in Istanbul (Turkey) in June 1996, known commonly as the “City Summit”.
At the second conference, the current state of urbanizing world was reviewed and the member- states of the UN adopted two documents namely, ‘Habitat Agenda’ and ‘Istanbul Declaration’ for the sustainable development of cities, towns and villages.
The negative factors in Karachi have acquired a serious and alarming proportions. These include a rising crime rate, break-down of rule of law, deterioration in infrastructure, poor sanitation, water shortages, lack of solid waste management, air pollution and above all grabbing and encroachment of state land for construction purposes..
Like other mega cities in Asia and elsewhere such as “Kampung” in Indonesia and Malaysia, “Bustees” in India and Bangladesh, “squatter settlements” in the Philippines and Thailand, “Kutchi Abadis” in Karachi have sprung up in the heart of the city. Besides, the city is dotted with small cottage industries, set up on the usurped state land acquired through the land mafia which includes state functionaries.
On one hand, haphazard growth of the city has rendered the infrastructures and services totally inadequate to meet the needs of the citizens and on the other, generated social problems as well as environmental spillovers that have put a brake on Karachi acting as an engine of growth for the country as a whole. If the nerve-centre of our economy, which contributes nearly 56 per cent share in taxation revenues and 41 per cent in large-scale manufacturing, is allowed to be overtaken by breakdown of infrastructure, services and a rising rate of crimes, it is not Karachi alone which will suffer but the whole country. This underlines the need to initiate and execute a comprehensive centralized ‘urban renewal programme’ for the city. The problems are so chronic that piecemeal and isolated initiatives will not serve any purpose. Then the question is, what defies our inability to undertake such a programme? The Article 12 of the Istanbul Declaration articulated that, “recognizing local authorities as our closest partners, and as essential, in the implementation of the Habitat Agenda, we must within the legal framework of each country, promote decentralization through democratic local authorities and work to strengthen their financial and institutional capacities.”
Consistent with this Declaration and Habitat Agenda, the Government of Pakistan had created local governments under the devolution plan and vide sub-section (a) of section 40 entrusted them, amongst others, the function of “approving master plans, zoning, land use plans, including classification and reclassification of land, environment control, urban design, urban renewal and ecological balances”.
Unfortunately the lands for housing in Karachi are in triple control of federal, provincial and local governments. This includes eight cantonment boards and a number of co-operative housing societies.
These agencies have their own land using planning schemes, regulations and bye-laws for housing and are controlled either by the federal ministries or provincial government. This dichotomy of control can hardly enable the City District Government (CDG) to prepare a sustainable master plan for the urban renewal of the city. This can be done by bringing all agencies under the umbrella of the City District Government and binding them to full adherence to the urban renewal plan, drawn by the city government. This is what the law provides.
The Government of Pakistan had approved a national policy on Kutchi Abadies, Urban Renewal and Slum Upgradation in January, 2001 in continuation of the notification of 23rd March, 1985 for regularization of Kutchi Abadies. According to the official estimates, nearly 50 per cent of the population lives in slums, Kutchi Abadies and squatter settlements in Karachi.
The policy assigns the function of regularization of these Abadies on Sind Kutchi Abadies Authority under the Sind Government. This situation being athwart, the Local Government Ordinance, the function of regularization of Kutchi Abadies should be brought within the purview of the City Government so as to integrate it with the overall city urban renewal programme.
The urban renewal programmes initiated in many cities of the world could not have been successful but for adoption of a participatory approach. This implies creation of a nexus between all levels of the government and the civil society including community based organizations.
This means that a consultative process should be forged among policy makers, local authorities, professionals representatives of non-governmental groups and other actors of the civil society in conceptualization exercise for urban renewal and its implementation. No such effort for institutionalizing this partnership has been attempted.
Therefore, an institutional set up at city district level can serve the purpose for removing the social and economic risks inherent in such programmes. If a need is felt, the support of the United Nation Centre for Human Settlements may be sought in technical, financial and advisory fields that it offers under the Sustainable Cities Programme.
The residents of Karachi, like residents of other mega- cities in South Asia, face environmental risks because of their living conditions and locations. These risks manifest in a high mortality rate under five and endemic respiratory problems and gastroentritis ailments suffered by citizens due to air pollution and unfit water.
The quality of education in schools has deteriorated due to lack of supervision and control. Besides, electricity breakdowns are common; transport system is inefficient and roads are in dilapidated conditions. What is required is that all services that affect its citizens should be brought under the control of the CDG as envisaged in the devolution plan.
Any tarrying with the implementation of the plan will exacerbate the problems to an extent that instead of immigration there may be emigration from Karachi to the detriment of the economic growth.