Karachi Residents Protest Commercial Project on Nehr-i-Khayam
Residents staged a strong protest on Sunday, October 12, against a commercial zone under construction along Nehr-i-Khayam in Karachi’s Clifton area. Members of the Clifton Block 5 Residents Association, Clifton Defence Community and Karachi Residents Community gathered at the construction site and demanded an immediate halt to the project. The protesters carried placards raising questions about transparency. They said narrowing the waterway would reduce stormwater drainage capacity and increase the risk of urban flooding in the city. The proposed food street plan also drew strong opposition.
The protesters alleged that not even an information board had been installed at the site for such a large commercial project. They demanded that the approved designs, land boundaries, environmental assessments, decisions of the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency, contracts and cost details be made public. Resident Hamma Ahmed asked how such a large project could move forward without transparency. Hameera Khan of the Clifton Defence Community said untreated sewage from Karachi’s drainage channels is being released into the sea without cleaning, posing a grave threat to marine life.
The protesters put forward four basic demands. First, no shop or commercial building should be constructed on the channel’s land. Second, public open spaces must be protected. Third, wastewater must be properly treated before being released into the sea. Fourth, all project documents must be made public. They said the Sindh government is prioritizing commercial development over environmental protection, while the project would add to traffic, noise and congestion in a densely populated residential area.
Karachi’s drainage system already comes under severe pressure during the monsoon, and past urban flooding has caused major loss of life and property. According to urban planning experts, construction over waterways and natural drains weakens the city’s natural drainage system. Residents say Karachi’s future will remain at risk without environmentally responsible development.
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