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Learn how the Action Committee for Civic Problems is mobilizing communities to protect their housing rights along the Lyari Expressway. Discover the struggles faced by affected settlements and the flawed resettlement plan.
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LYARI EXPRESSWAYCommunities struggle for their housing rights
Due to a lack of alternatives the garbage recycling and sorting activity has spilled onto the Lyari bed and banks and people working in this activity have started residing here.
Role of Action Committee for Civic Problems (ACCP) • ACCP is a coalition of NGOs, professional bodies (bar association, journalist association), CBOs and individual citizens. It is working on civic issues, law and order, education and transport issues. • Strategy adopted for resettlement of the affected communities • Mobilize the communities for protection of housing rights • Hold combined meetings in various settlements of the affectees • Assists communities in their legal battles • Mobilisation of the citizens and vigorous campaign through media • Holding press conferences on particular issues regarding housing rights, Organising APC, people’s assembly and demonstrations. • Mobilisation at international level and also with donors of the project
The Lyari Expressway proposal does not differentiate between these settlements although many of them constitute areas where Karachi began as a city and in which the original inhabitants of the city still live. It is felt that these settlements should be treated as cultural heritage. • The scale of destruction of settled communities for the implementation of a road project is unparalleled in the history of urban development.
There is no social and physical infrastructure at the relocation sites and no employment either. • Rs 50,000 compensation is simply not enough to build a home. This money is consumed in transportation and in hiring a place to survive between demolition and considering the construction of a house in the relocation settlement.
The Resettlement Plan is flawed • The resettlement plan does not differentiate between old villages, leased settlements and informal occupation of land for residential purposes. • The commercial and manufacturing units that provide direct employment to about 40,000 wage earners are being demolished without compensation or support for relocation.
They have held a people’s assembly in which 3000 men, women and children from various settlements of effected areas of Lyari Corridor gathered to protest against the project. • They have organized eight All Party Conferences where representatives of political parties have been invited to discuss the issues related to demolitions and evictions. All representatives in these conferences have supported the effected communities.
They have received journalists, concerned citizens and NGO representatives in their settlements and explained their problems to them. • They have held peaceful demonstrations. • They have contacted UN habitat related organizations that have arranged for the sending of a Fact-Finding Mission from the Bangkok based Asian Coalition of Housing Rights (ACHR). The Mission has supported the point of view of the effected communities.
