Eleven cops were injured in clashes as the Hyderabad police resorted to aerial firing and massive teargas shelling on Tuesday to remove encroachments for building a 24-foot wide road and restoring an abandoned irrigation channel of the irrigation department in Qasimabad.
An unspecified number of people, including some policemen, were injured as clashes broke out in Bhitai Town off Jamshoro road when a heavy contingent of police along with administration officials arrived in the area to demolish encroachments.
The drive led to a strong reaction from those living in the encroached structures as they pelted officials with stones, smashing panes of a couple of government vehicles. The drive was underway even after sunset.
Hyderabad Deputy Commissioner (DC) Zainul Abideen Memon told Dawn.com that 11 personnel were injured.
“We have to build a 24ft-wide road from Karan Khan Shoro to Wadhu Wah,” said DC Memon, who reached the area following stiff resistance by residents that caused the suspension of the anti-encroachment drive.
More police forces subsequently arrived in the area and the electricity supply to the area remained disconnected.
“We are procuring machinery to clear the path by demolishing the structures,” Memon said. He added that an around one-kilometre stretch remained to be cleared of the encroachments.
“The 2.7km road is being built by the highway department whereas the irrigation channel is to be restored by the Sindh irrigation department,” he said. Memon said that 350-400 encroached structures were present on the stretch as per a survey by the Qasimabad assistant commissioner.
There were different claims by the residents about the issuance of notices to them by the administration as a few affected ones confirmed that notices for the anti-encroachment drive were given while some others denied having been served.
According to Jawaid Mastoi, a resident of Larkana, he was served with a notice. “We have been living here since 2010 on a plot stretching over 1,800 square feet,” he said, adding that he had bought the plot from someone.
“We are provided amenities such gas and electricity and nobody objected then,” he said.
Some angry women also came outside to offer resistance to the authorities during the drive.
“Why were we provided electricity and gas meters if these were illegal,” screamed a woman. The residents also alleged that irrigation department officials had taken money from them to build their houses.
Members of affected families were seen sifting through the rubble of their razed structures, separating material that was useable and moving it on pushcarts.
“Our families have been staying in our neighbour’s house ever since my house was demolished,” said A. Raheem Noonari, who hailed from Larkana.
He said that he had settled in the area around 10-15 years back to earn his livelihood. “I bought the plot of 400sq yards for Rs1 million and I got a stamp paper but I don’t have any registry,” he said.
