The CDGL’s encroachments

LAHORE – Busy clearing government land from squatters in a ruthless anti-encroachment drive, the City District Government Lahore, has itself encroached upon roads by placing 1500 waste containers, 22 cemented enclosures and establishing 114 dumping sites on drains in 6 towns without any rules and regulations, Pakistan Today has learnt.
A DCO office official told Pakistan Today that there was no law nor any Act to allowed the CDGL to occupy roads and drains under any compulsion. These were the government properties but fell under illegal possession of CDGL with impunity, he added. “It is beyond the comprehension that an encroacher is taking action against encroachers. It is unexplainable and unjustifiable,” the official said.
CDGL has the list: WASA DMD (Operation) Iqtidar Shah said that a complete list of dumping sites at drains had been submitted to DCO but action was still awaited. CDGL’s subordinate body Solid Waste Management (SWM) set up the dumping sites without taking WASA on board and as result, waste continued to go into drains throughout the year causing severe blockage.
“Drains are choked with waste and million of rupees have to be squander in clearing drains from waste encroachment at the hands of SWM,’ he added.
“Owning to waste encroachments, the wear and tear of drains swells with WASA having to bear the brunt,” he said. He showed apprehensions that while DCO Ahad Cheema had assured him of extending the limits of anti-encroachment drive toward drains, but he reserved doubts that it would remain a pipedream.
SWM District Officer Rafiq Jattoi blamed WASA for the mess claiming WASA owned the drains and is responsible for protecting its land from all typesof encroachments. “SWM has already placed waste skips and drums near drains on the request of WASA,” he said. He denied establishing formal dumping sites, alleging that it was people that were throwing waste around the drains.
‘Yes, we do obstruct roads’: However, he admitted that CDGL had to place 1500 waste containers and 22 cemented waste enclosures at various places which obstructed the right of way and reduced the size of the road. He criticized that government could not make any law which could ensure allocation of dumping sites in Lahore Master Plan and development of housing societies.
In past, the Walled City had 36 areas for waste sites but none of successive government could earmark such points in the other parts of the city, he added. LDA promised to allocate dumping sites in LDA Avenue I housing scheme, but after the lapse of many years, the promise could not be materialized, he added. According to data available to Pakistan Today, CDGL has illegal established 114 dumping locations at 32 drains of WASA in six towns.
The encroachments listed: Gulberg Town is marred by 49 dumping sites, Shalimar Town with 16 dumping sites, Nishter Town with 15 dumping locations, Samnabad Town with 18 dumping location, Allama Iqbal Town with 4 dumping sites and Ravi Town is spotted by 12 illegal dumping sites. Data Gunj Buksh Town’s Central Drain has dumping locations at Dial Singh Mention Mall Road, 5-Fane road, Muzang Adda, Beghum road, Lytton road, Chowk Choubarji, Green Building, T & T colony, Tauheed Park, Hall road, Pathana Wali Pulo, Kacha Hall road.
Mian Mir Drain ( now called Cantt Drain) has dumping locations at Multan road, Tauheed park, Gulshan bridge, New bridge Muhammadia colony, Nonarian bridge, New bridge Shalimar Colony, Shah kot bridge, Shalra Kot bridge near police station, Babu sabu bridge, bridge LOC, near Sunday bazaar, PIC hospital bridge, Service Road bridge near Canal, near Ahmad Nursery Jail Road, Mall road bridge.
The Bird Wood Drain has dumping locations behind Tolington Market, Govt Service Post Graduate Institute, Kachi Abadi Bird Wood road, Lawrence road. Samnabad Town’s Krishan Nagar Drain has dumping location at B-Block Gulshan-e-Ravi Bridge. Gulshan-e-Ravi Sludge carrier at Band road to River Ravi. Allama Iqbal Drain has dumping locations at near SDO office Iqbal Town, Wagon Stop to Neelum block, Karim block near Girls high school and Multan road bridge to Chowk Sabzazar.
Gulberg Town’s Gulberg Drain-I has dumping locations at the syphon near the canal at Jail Road, G-block Gulberg, the bridge near MC Donald, the bridge at Chaudhry-Zahoor Elahi road, the Ghausia Colony Kachi Abadi, the bridge near the New Age factory. Gulberg drain-II has dumping locations at the Home Economics College, Nasir Colony, Sunny Floor Mills.
Lytton Road Drain has dumping location at Jain Mandar Chowk, near Govt Poly Tech Institute for women, in front of Begum Road, in front of the TEPA office. Alfalah drain has dumping locations at Alfalah building, Victoria park, Beadon road. Chota Ravi Drain has dumping locations at Ebbe Wali Puli, Kali Wali Puli, Hsaan Shah, Gunjian Wali Puli, Rasheed Road Puli and the pumping station to River Ravi.
Railway Drain has dumping locations behind BTH hospital, Dara road, Azeem ground, Munawar Sultan road. Sattul Katla drain at Peco road bridge, Salar road Pnidi Ranputtain stop, the fruit & vegetable market. The PECO road drain has a dump at Kot Lakhpat. Shalamar Town’s drain has dumping location at Chotta Ravi Drain (Peer Ronki, China scheme, Shad Bagh, Kashmir road, Amir Road, Bhagat Pura, Yasrab Colony, Tarique Shaheed road, Uemr-e-Faroque road.
TheShalimar Escape Channel, dumping location at Kroll Ghati, Barkat Town, Bhaman and Jhugian. The BTH drain at Sukh Neher to Shalamar link road, Sukh Neher Drain at Lal Pul bridge, Shawari bridge and GT Road bridge
Ravi Town’s Sadat Colony Drain has dumping location at opposite F & V market railway crossing and Ali Pura, Sadat Colony.
The Shad Bagh Sludge Carrier has dumping locations in front of the Shahbagh disposal. The City Drain has dumping locations at Yakki gate, Dehli gate, Shalmi to Mochi Gate and the Optical market Bhatti Gate
The Shahdarah GT road drain has dumping sites in front of St Not 05-A Lajpat road near Vindala road Shahdarah Drain (Sheikhupura Road) has dumping sitesin front of Ghulam Muhamamd building.
The Farrukhabad drain has dumping locations in front of Malik Park Abadi.
The Allama Iqbal Town drain has dumping site at DB block Sabzazar. The Johar Town drain at A and B blocks Johar Town. The Sabzazar Drain has dumping sites at Sabzazar near Shah Fareed chowk and Chowk Sabzazar to WAPDA grid station.
Nishtar Town’s General hospital drain has dumping location at Ghungi Amer Sadhu, Qasnchi stop, Abid Market. College Road Drain dumping sites at Akbar chowk, Muhammad Ali Chowk, Ghazi Chowk. The Green Town Drain has dumping sites at Azmat Chowk, Riaz Chowk and Chures tainki. The Bagrian road drain has dumping locations at Muslim Chowk and Bagrian Chowk. Sattu Katla drain has dumping sites at Chandni Chowk, Sadiq Chowk, Qadri chowk. The industrial area drain has dumping location at Janjo Town.