The caretaker government of Sindh deserves a lot of appreciation for coming up with a plan that no elected or non-elected government has ever presented for the development of a major neighborhood of this port city as it has decided to build a cluster of apartments on the land of Martin Quarters, Jamshed Quarters, Jahangir Quarters and Clayton Quarters after demolishing the decades-old buildings or quarters allotted to the government employees. Of course, the residents would be rehabilitated.
This project of “urban regeneration” is indeed a great step in the right direction. According to media reports, the World Bank has already started work on the feasibility of the project, which will have all essential facilities, including shopping malls, offices, parking lots, libraries, parks and other spaces for education and health.
Through this space, I would urge Sindh Chief Minister former Justice Maqbool Baqir to announce a similar plan for a nearby neighborhood Lines Area, a cluster of various pre-Partition lines such as Jacob Lines, Tunisia Lines, Jutland Lines, Avicenna Lines, Depot Lines and Bizerta Lines. These lines host a very large number of people of different ethnic backgrounds and identities.
These lower middle-class neighborhoods have turned into major slums due to lack of urban planning, shrinking space, the near-absence of required civic facilities and ever-growing population.
No government has ever taken any meaningful step to bring about any meaningful change in the woeful landscape of Lines Area, an area that virtually touches the precincts of the Quaid’s mausoleum on one side and Sharea Faisal on the other.
The caretaker government can attract a lot of goodwill for itself from the residents of Lines Area by announcing an ‘urban regeneration’ plan for this ‘mini-old city’ of teeming millions as well.
Mohammad Riaz
Jutland Lines, Karachi
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
Comments
Comments are closed for this article.