The Naya Nazimabad and DHA City Karachi are two new residential projects that have been recently launched. They are every Karachiite's idea of paradise on earth.
The promotional advertisements project an incredible vision of futuristic Karachi where there will be no water or power shortage or outage, no traffic jams, no commuting problems, lots of pollution-free air, parks, playgrouds, schools, hospitals and markets within walking distance, picturesque views. In short, everything is designed for harmony, comfort and a modern, civilised lifestyle.
The only hitch is that a paradise isn't for everybody. For the heavenly one you have to be genuinely good and pious. For the Karachi ones you need to have a lot of wealth. Most Karachiites have difficulty fulfilling these conditionalities. However, the developers of the new housing projects are not worried. They will not lack buyers. Currently, four residential blocks in Naya Nazimabad are on the market. They comprise plots measuring 120, 160 and 240 square yards. There are vacant plots as well as pre-constructed houses for sale. Most of the houses are sold out and only a few vacant plots remain.
The DHA City Karachi-- DCK for short-- is planned for 0.6 million residents, half of which were allotted by ballot in 2009 when there was nothing except the idea of the DCK on paper, and when the buyers did not even know what they were really being offered.
The reports of purchase is somewhat disturbing. Who are really making haste to buy plots and houses? Are they genuine buyers or are they the land mafia. The latter most likely, because previous housing projects have been manipulated by the land mafia. Gulshan-i-Iqbal in particular and Clifton Kahkashan in which the so-called estate agents purchased plots as a business investment. Prices skyrocketed and soon only those with plenty of money were able to purchase plots.
In Karachi it is simply impossible to control artificial escalation of the price of real estate. The worst hit, of course, as usual, is the middle-class. The Naya Nazimabad project, for example is at present affordable with bank loans, but in no time it will be out of reach. The DCK project is already designed with affluent buyers in mind, in fact the buyers DHA is targetting are people who are earning in foreign exchange, the expats.
Both projects are ambitious in their own separate ways and admirable too. Unlike Gulshan-i-Maymaar, which was a great project but did not take into account the key factor that would attract buyers; easy commuting. It was too far. The new projects are distant too but much attention has been paid to ensure easy communication within and access to roads connecting to speed roads being built nearby. The road systems within both projects are also designed for fast communication, eary entry and exit. These projects therefore are not going to take decades to become populated like Gulshan-i-Maymaar.
The promise of availability of water supply and power, which will also be generated partly through air and solar source are a major attraction for buyers. Karachi is a commercial city but should features that attract buyers be the only consideration in designing a residential project? Are we building a living city or an artificial city? In a living city there is concern also for the soul. Most of the housing projects that were designed after 1971 have nothing in them to develop community spirit. In DHA and Clifton for instance, people do not know who is their next door neighbour. Their children do not play with each other, their families do not have any social contact. In apartment buildings there is some community spirit but that is by-the-way.
If you look at any apartment building project or large housing societies the promotion advertisements clearly show that the interest of males in entertainment and fitness facilities dominates. Unlike other Muslim countries, our mosques are exclusively for men. No new housing society thinks it is important to include a public library. And if there is one, as for example in Defence, it is too expensive to become a member, or it is barred for people who are not owners of the place they live and are renters. It is not a public library.
In almost all residential societies the community centre simply means a place where one can hold a wedding reception. There are no art shows, music functions, beauty and craft courses, cooking classes. Above all, the buyers are so enamoured by the attractive features offered in a new residential project that they do not even ask what are their rights and what laws and what regular maintenance payments are to be expected.
Another thing lacking is the concept of the town square. This, it seems, is deliberately eliminated from the project because town squares are places where the public can hold rallies, demonstrations and other activities that would disturb the artificial harmony, peace and tranquility of the residential area.