Staff Reporter
The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation has removed encroachments from 1.5-acre land of the Kidney Hill Park in Dhoraji Colony, an official said.
The anti-encroachment operation was led by KMC Senior Director Bashir Siddiqui, together with the East district administration, police and city wardens.
During the drive, KMC staffers removed encroachments in and around the Kidney Hill Park.
They demolished illegal structures on 1.5-acre land, according to Siddiqui. The parking lot of Zubaida General Hospital and guard rooms were razed too.
The operation is being conducted on the orders of the Supreme Court and it would continue until the recovery of the whole land.
The KMC called on Friday the entire staff of its anti-encroachment department for the drive.
The 62-acre park is located near the Rangoonwala Hall in Dhoraji Colony. Around 20 acres of its land had been encroached upon in 2006.
The Kokan Cooperative Housing Society constructed bunglows and dairy farms on the amenity land.
In 2018, the society management took a stay against the demolition of these illegal constructions from the Sindh High Court.
In 2019, the Supreme Court annulled the stay order and asked the authorities to remove encroachments from the park.
The KMC recovered 7.5-acre land of the park in 2019 and 2020.
Former Karachi mayor Wasim Akhtar and KMC metropolitan commissioner DrSaifurRehman had initiated its renovation too. Over 3,000 saplings of different kinds were planted in the park, besides a jogging track.
Another 11 acres of the park’s land have yet to be recovered by the KMC.
The KMC has thrice served notices to residents of the bunglows established on the park’s land, but it has failed to clear the patch.
The last time it served notices to the residents was before Eid.
