Karachi Residents to Take Nehr-e-Khayyam Case to High Court
Residents of Clifton and Defence in Karachi are preparing to take the Sindh government to court over construction along Nehr-e-Khayyam. The Nehr-e-Khayyam court petition, planned for Friday, will ask the Sindh High Court to protect the canal’s natural waterway and ensure effective drainage to prevent urban flooding.
Jamaat-e-Islami and local residents will file the petition together. It comes with nearly 80 per cent of the construction work reportedly complete, which raises the stakes: the court will be asked to intervene in a project that is already far advanced, not one still on paper.
Nehr-e-Khayyam court petition: what residents fear
Residents fear that concrete structures along the canal and restrictions on its natural width could disrupt the flow of rainwater and tidal water. That, they say, could expose nearby residential areas to flooding during heavy rainfall. Their concern is not abstract. Rasha Tariq of the Clifton Residents Committee said three drains had been built along the canal, and homes had been flooded last year after one of the drains was built.
Tariq said construction was continuing round the clock despite assurances from the provincial government. She said the potential impact on drainage should have been assessed before construction began. She also called for separate pipelines for sewage disposal and urged the authorities to keep the remaining portion of the canal open to preserve its natural drainage function.
The petition will also question the project’s environmental clearances and engineering design. Residents have asked why the Sindh government approached the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency for guidance on environmental requirements only after construction had substantially progressed. The Local Government Department’s project manager wrote to the agency’s director general on October 26, seeking guidance on the environmental approvals required. Details of the agency’s response and the clearances required have yet to be made public.
Nehr-e-Khayyam court petition: the documents residents demand
Residents have demanded that the government make public the project’s approved engineering design, maps, PC-I, total cost, relevant approvals, and other technical documents. They also want details of the environmental assessments undertaken before work began.
The Clifton Neighbourhood Association had earlier written to the chief minister, calling for construction to be halted and the canal’s natural condition restored. Jamaat-e-Islami Karachi deputy chief Saifuddin Advocate said the government sought an environmental impact assessment report for the construction only after residents staged protests. He said the mandatory assessment had not been prepared before the project was approved or construction began, as required by law.
This petition is the latest step in a dispute Feature Pakistan has followed since residents warned that the waterway had been narrowed from about 120 feet to roughly 50 to 60 feet. Feature Pakistan also reported on the October 26 letter asking the environmental agency to examine the scheme. The court filing moves the dispute from protest and correspondence into litigation, where a judge will test the residents’ claims against the government’s record.
Frequently asked questions
Who is filing the Nehr-e-Khayyam petition?
Residents of Clifton and Defence, together with Jamaat-e-Islami, plan to file the petition in the Sindh High Court on Friday.
What does the petition seek?
It seeks protection of the canal’s natural waterway and effective drainage arrangements to prevent urban flooding during heavy rainfall.
How much construction is complete?
Nearly 80 per cent of the construction work is reportedly complete, according to residents.
Why do residents question the environmental process?
They say the government approached the environmental agency for guidance on October 26, after construction had substantially progressed, and that a mandatory environmental impact assessment was not prepared before approval or construction.
