Improper constructions are enemies of the natural environment
Imran
Climate change is the biggest challenge facing humans in the
present era.
Different countries around
the world are taking different measures to avoid these effects.
The temperature is increasing day by day all over the world which
is emerging as a big problem.
The severity of weather, heat wave, frequent rains and storms, increase in their intensity can lead to loss of livelihood for human lives.
COP 26 was launched in Glasgow, Scotland at the 2021 United Nations
Climate Change Conference.
In which the representatives of two hundred countries had announced what steps they would take to improve the environment by 2030. By which climate change can be avoided.
Various measures are being taken to avoid severe weather all over
the world.
But the process of further
damaging the natural environment is going on here.
Which includes new schemes of deforestation, builders amnesty.
In these schemes, not only Pakistan, especially Sindh has caused
heavy damage. In which the name of Bahria Town is allegedly on the top list.
Recently the issue of encroachment and acquisition of more land in
National Kirthar Park is a common topic these days.
Imam Ali is a local resident of Jamshoro district, he says that we
have been living in this area since our ancestors.
This village of ours is not
only ancient but also our only source of life.
He said about Bahria Town that at first they did not talk to anyone, only the occupation of lands was going on silently.
When the residents of the area saw the intensity, they said that
sell the land according to this area and we will provide you money in return.
So far they have taken four to five hundred acres of land from us.
In return for which they
have not given money till now and it was said that you will be paid in four to
five days.
We did not want to sell the land at all, but the local vadirs said
that we will go with the land and it is better than the money to take the money
and move on.
The problem is that as Bahria Town is advancing, our village is
also coming in the middle, later they will say take money and leave this area
too.
Which is not only us local people.
Hafeez Baloch has been working with the Indigenous Rights Alliance
for the past several years.
He says that all the constructions in Bahria Town district Jamshoro
are illegal under the law of Pakistan.
This is Kirthar National Park where the life of wild life is
threatened.
You cannot cut trees here.
But a large number of trees were cut here. They cannot do mining,
but sand and gravel are extracted from here in large quantities and used in the
construction of Bahria Town.
The wildlife area is illegal and protections are in place
No logging or mining in National Park Protected Areas
Can't even construct is illegal no matter how you call it.
Residents of Ker Thar area say that we do not want to sell our land, but leaders of a political party are pressurizing us and threatening us with various serious consequences, due to which we are forced to sell our land to them.
Environmentalists Masood Lohar and Dr. Aamir say that trees and
forests are very important to improve the environment.
The main feature of forests is that they form a rain system. Which
is very beneficial for the environment.
Senior environmental journalist Syed Sibte Hasan Rizvi says that
due to climate change, we have lost many species of plants and animals over the
past few decades.
Fauzia Jameel, an environmental activist, says that forests, trees
and plants are connected to life, to cut them is to end life. Agriculture,
society and medicine depend on forests. Deforestation has forced people into
social conflicts and migration.
Wildlife photographer Salman Ahmed Baloch works on flora and fauna.
Collect their records. He is from the Sindh Indigenous Rights
Alliance.
It is said that the place where I am standing is part of Kir Thar
National Park.
You will see around here
that the sand and gravel mafias are carrying all the things.
How the sand and gravel of Ker Thar Park is being damaged
The entire Ker Thar Park has been razed to the ground like this.
Bahria Town has built its plots and bungalows in the areas occupied by Bahria and the mountain ranges and rivers.
Now, on their own, they have
conducted a survey which is a limited survey.
In which 20 thousand acres have come
In which we are saying that it is on 30 to 40 thousand acres.
Also there are many dams
which are not on record
As it is sand mining you are
destroying the ecology of the entire Ker Thar Park.
This will bring down the water level.
The sand here is a feature of this place, the water that comes out
from here recharges the underground water.
And water stays here
throughout the year. This is the Thado River area and it is called Lahuti
Picnic Point.
If you search on Google, search on YouTube, you will find many of its videos.
There was a very beautiful area which has been damaged here for Bahria material.
The Bahria has taken over in exactly the same way.
The Board of Ker Thar National Park which I have mentioned earlier.
This is not a housing society issue of a few houses.
This is a very large area we can talk about as we are creating a
joint mega city as big as Karachi.
In an area which is an ecologically important area, our demand is that the land acquisition should not be discussed but the environmental destruction should also be discussed and recorded so that people can know about it.
In the era we are going through, there is talk of climate change.
We are saying that destruction should be stopped
Kirthar National Park has a place to balance the environment of a
mega city like Karachi.
This is the main green belt.
The way this entire green belt was destroyed, this entire region was green land
There were trees everywhere
After taking over the Bahria, all the trees have been cut down and this green belt has been destroyed.
There are two or four things in it. The air quality index of
Karachi is very bad
At this time, Karachi has started to be counted among the worst air
quality in the world
At present, these green
patches have a very important role in the environment of Karachi
If there will be green
patches or greenery then the air quality will improve already our environment
is destroyed
However, many projects like
Bahria Town have been completed
Due to which we will have breathing problem tomorrow. People will
start getting sick and the average life expectancy of people may decrease.
If it gets worse, it will lead to more destruction. The heat ratio here is still two Celsius difference, if there is one Celsius difference in the world, then they are crying and after deforestation, this difference will increase.
Building concrete forests will increase the heat because cement is
cement.
We have eliminated green spaces to keep Karachi cool.
A huge patch was destroyed by building the Malir Expressway on what
Malir had saved.
A huge green belt was
destroyed.
After some time in Karachi,
I think it will not be able to stay
Every person must wear a mask. Children will not be able to go
out. You will have to make hygienic arrangements inside the house. And a lot
will have to be done to save your life.
On November 27, 2023, the Supreme Court issued an order in the
Bahria Town Karachi case.
The Supreme Court handed
over the money of Malik Riaz to the state of Pakistan.
The amount was frozen due to
legal proceedings in the UK.
According to the court order, this decision does not impose any
restrictions on NAB's ongoing investigations and proceedings in these cases.
Bahria Town Karachi case verdict issued.
The Supreme Court ordered to give 35 billion rupees from abroad to
the federal government.
Bahria Town has so far submitted sixty five billion rupees in the
Supreme Court.
Among them, thirty-five billion rupees are 190 million pounds.
Who came to Pakistan after the recovery of frozen account in UK.
The remaining Rs 30 billion deposited by Bahria Town was ordered to
be given to the Sindh government.
The ruling said that apparently Bahria Town is occupying more land.
Bahria Town unilaterally stopped payment of installments.
Bahria Town not only stopped payments but also seized more land.
According to the survey report, Bahria Town occupied more than
three thousand acres of land.
People invest lifetime savings to buy a piece of land.
All are at the mercy of the developer even after spending.
