32 citizens rally against DHA beach project
KARACHI: A group of 32 citizens supported a statement of concern (issued by 22 people earlier this month) regarding the Defence Housing Authority's Beach Development Project.
According to a statement issued by the 32 professionals Tuesday, the Beach Development Project "completely usurps the beach with activities that the poorer strata cannot afford, and restricts their access to the beach." These activities include theme parks "whose entrance fee by experience of similar parks we know are too high for poor families, a railway track along the beach whose fare is estimated at Rs 90 per trip, expo centres, condominiums (which will be inaccessible for security reasons), exclusive clubs, and most surprisingly, multi-storey car parks on the water's edge.
"We recognise the need for these facilities for the elite but not at the expense of losing the beach for the citizens. As such, we strongly recommend that the provisions of the Karachi Coastal Management Plan 2000, prepared by the then Karachi Development Authority (KDA) with assistance from the United Nations, be followed and a construction-free zone of 50 metres between the high-water mark and construction be maintained," the signatories said. This zone, they said, should be accessible to the public. "In this connection it is important to note that 4,655 people belonging to 73 CBOs and NGOs from all over Pakistan and residents of 89 lower and lower-middle income locations in Karachi have signed a statement voicing concerns similar to ours regarding this project. We are also very concerned that this project will further fragment an already fragmented city by eliminating its most accessible and important multi-class public space," the statement concluded.
According to a statement issued by the 32 professionals Tuesday, the Beach Development Project "completely usurps the beach with activities that the poorer strata cannot afford, and restricts their access to the beach." These activities include theme parks "whose entrance fee by experience of similar parks we know are too high for poor families, a railway track along the beach whose fare is estimated at Rs 90 per trip, expo centres, condominiums (which will be inaccessible for security reasons), exclusive clubs, and most surprisingly, multi-storey car parks on the water's edge.
"We recognise the need for these facilities for the elite but not at the expense of losing the beach for the citizens. As such, we strongly recommend that the provisions of the Karachi Coastal Management Plan 2000, prepared by the then Karachi Development Authority (KDA) with assistance from the United Nations, be followed and a construction-free zone of 50 metres between the high-water mark and construction be maintained," the signatories said. This zone, they said, should be accessible to the public. "In this connection it is important to note that 4,655 people belonging to 73 CBOs and NGOs from all over Pakistan and residents of 89 lower and lower-middle income locations in Karachi have signed a statement voicing concerns similar to ours regarding this project. We are also very concerned that this project will further fragment an already fragmented city by eliminating its most accessible and important multi-class public space," the statement concluded.
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