SHC criticises DHA and CBC for inadequate development planning

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court said on Monday that the people in charge of developing the Defense Housing Authority (DHA) and Clifton neighborhoods did not do enough planning.

The two-person SHC bench heard a petition about flooding in DHA and Cantonment Board Clifton areas during the rains of August 2022. They said that there are cities along the sea all over the world, but Karachi is the only one where there is no planning at all.

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The court told the experts suggested by the petitioners to meet with DHA and CBC and bring the meeting’s minutes to the next hearing.

The bench said these things while hearing two petitions about flooding in DHA and Clifton during and after the heavy rains in August 2020.

The petitioners also asked for a committee to oversee sanitation projects and a forensic audit of the accounts of the CBC and DHA.

The petitions were heard by a two-person bench led by Justice Syed Hassan Azhar Rizvi.

The attorney for DHA said that a new line is being put in place to send rainwater into the sea. The court said there is a chance that people will connect their sewer lines to this water line.

Justice Rizvi said that there are cities by the sea in the world, but the system is made everywhere. “It was asked to talk to experts; what happened? Did you talk to any experts?” Justice Rizvi questioned.

The lawyer for the petitioner said that they had received the letter from DHA and that the review would take two more weeks. The DHA’s legal counsel said that stakeholders and experts will get together on October 22.

The judge told the experts to go to the meeting and bring the meeting’s minutes to the next hearing.