KARACHI: The Anti-Encroachment Cell of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) on Monday launched a three-day campaign against unauthorised structures, push-carts and movable cabins in the congested Old City areas.
The encroachments in such areas were causing grave inconvenience to residents and visitors.
KMC Director Masood Alam, sharing details of the campaign, said the exercise that began on Monday morning from the city’s largest wholesale market, Jodia Bazaar and around the city courts, met strong resistance, mainly by shopkeepers, who had extended businesses to the pavements in front of their shops.
“Many of them were found to have rented out the place to makeshift stall owners,” he said, mentioning that concerned staffers adopted an assertive approach in their handling with the encroachers.
“The anti-encroachment force did help us in ensuring that roads, lanes and pavements encroached upon were cleared and citizens visiting the courts as well as the commercial centres were facilitated,” he added.
To a query, the KMC Director said the campaign will continue until Wednesday in the Old City area, adding that the action will be turned into a regular feature so as to help create a clean ambience and also to get rid of gridlocks that have emerged to be a regular feature.
As a policy, the KMC has decided to conduct the campaign on weekly basis and from March 6.
The anti-encroachment cell will hold the exercise two days a week initially in Old City area and then in other parts of the metropolis.
The KMC director appealed to the people to support the endeavour.
