Anti-encroachment drive at Karachi’s Mehmoodabad postponed after protest

An Anti-encroachment drive at Mehmoodabad Nullah has been postponed after residents staged protest against the Karachi Municipal Corporation, local media reported on Thursday.

As per details, Men, women, and children held banners and chanted slogans against the KMC. The demolition work was stalled for more than five hours because of the protest.

The drive at Manzoor Colony and adjoining areas caused traffic jam in the locality.

Residents were issued notices and given a deadline of 10 days to vacate these houses, ARY News quoted district officials.

The operation will be started from Manzoor Colony’s Defence More, for which four teams have been constituted, said officials.

As per the survey conducted by government departments, these encroachments have major role in restricting free flow of the rainwater causing urban flooding and immense damage to the city.

The survey, conducted by Sindh Irrigation Department and the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) few years back, pointed out thousands of built houses on Gujjar Nullah, stretched over a distance of 13.5 kilometers.

According to the survey, 27 key water drains of the city have been occupied by the illegal encroachments.