KARACHI: The Clifton Neighbourhood Association (CNA) on Thursday wrote to Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, expressing concerns over construction at Nehr-i-Khayyam and calling for the complete project report, approved engineering drawings, details of the engineering firm and responsible engineers, and the PC-I, including the project scope, cost and approvals, to be made publicly available.
Comprising mostly residents of Clifton Block 5, the CNA questioned the Nehr-i-Khayyam rehabilitation plan and demanded an immediate halt to the construction of the concrete box drain, which it described as an encroachment.
Speaking to Dawn, Rasha Tarek, one of the residents, said the construction work was being carried out very quickly. “They are working at night, too.”
Earlier, following protests at Nehr-i-Khayyam for two consecutive Sundays by the residents, a meeting with them and project representatives, including a project engineer, a representative of People and Nature Initiative (PANI) and members of Shahid Abdullah’s team, who are a major part of the transformation and rehabilitation at Nehr-i-Khayyam, was convened by the adviser to the CM Syed Najmi Alam at Dr Fareeduddin Sethna Family Park on Wednesday.
Clifton Neighbourhood Association seeks disclosure of project documents, an independent drainage study and EIA; demands restoration of waterway to its original width
At the meeting, the residents again raised their objections and sought answers from the project representatives. They demanded to see the proposed design of the project, particularly the apparent narrowing of the waterway and the potential implications for stormwater drainage, tidal connectivity, flood risk and the surrounding environment.
They expressed dissatisfaction with the incomplete plans presented to them during the meeting and stated that the information provided to them was insufficient to assess the project’s technical and environmental implications. They called for the complete project report, approved engineering drawings, details of the engineering firm and responsible engineers, and the PC-I, including the project scope, cost and approvals, to be made publicly available.
Questions were also raised about the proposed treatment plant, including its role in the overall project and the arrangements for its implementation and funding.
Shahid Abdullah’s team acknowledged that funding was not available for the project component under discussion. Residents called for clarity on which components were funded, which remained unfunded and how the project was intended to be completed.
A representative of PANI stated that the organisation had no involvement in the construction of the drains currently being built. This prompted further questions about which agencies were responsible for the drainage works and how these works related to the wider rehabilitation project.
When the issue of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was raised, project representatives stated that an EIA had not been conducted and that they would look into the matter.
Residents stressed that a project involving proposed changes to a major urban waterway must be supported by a proper environmental assessment, independent technical studies and transparent public consultation before any irreversible changes are made.
Syed Najmi Alam assured the residents that their demands would be forwarded to the chief minister. He also stated that the CM had asked him to submit a report following the residents’ protests. He further promised that the construction debris causing inconvenience in the neighbourhood would be removed within a week.
In the letter to the CM, the CNA put forward seven demands, including an immediate halt to construction and encroachment at Nehr-i-Khayyam and the restoration of its original width. It also called for a comprehensive EIA to be conducted and made publicly available, along with the disclosure of all project documents.
The association also demanded an independent hydrological and drainage study, opposed the commercialisation of Nehr-i-Khayyam land, and called for no part of the waterway to be covered or any structure to be raised above its level.
Published in Dawn, October 23rd, 2026
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