‘Understanding Asian Cities’ Case of Karachi Final Report - November 2004 Supervised by; Arif Hasan Research and Compilation by; Asiya Sadiq Polack With assistance from Mohammad Fazal Noor and Mohammad Nazeer List of Contents List of contents Acknowledgements Abbreviations and Local Terms Appendices List of Tables List of Maps List of Boxes 1.0 Profile of Pakistan 1.1 Context and Political Structure 1.2 Demographic Trends 1.3 Poverty 1.4 Emerging Social Trends a) Increased Literacy b) Decline in Married Population and Fertility c) Access to Information 1.5 Housing Trends 1.6 Poverty Alleviation Programmes a) The Katchi Abadi Improvement and Regularization Programme (KAIRP) b) The Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF II) c) The Khushali Bank Programme (KBP) d) The Khushal Pakistan Fund (KPF) e) UNDP National Urban Poverty Alleviation Programme f) Sindh Rural Development Programme g) Southern Punjab Basic Urban Services Programme 1.6.1 Problems with the Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Programmes 1.7 Globalization and its Impacts 1.7.1 Structural Adjustment 1.7.2 Privatization 1.7.3 The WTO Regime 2. Political History of the City 2.1 Early Development 2.2 Administrative Structure 2.2.1 The New System of Governance 2.3 Budgetary Allocations for Development 2.4 Demographic Trends 2.5 Economy 2.6 Social Indicators 2.7 Employment Trends 2.8 Land Use Trends 2 2.9 Housing Conditions 2.10 Evictions 2.11 Poverty in the City 3.0 Physical and Environmental Conditions in Karachi 3.1 Housing Stock 3.2 Water 3.3 Sewerage 3.4 Electricity 3.5 Solid Waste 3.6 Traffic and Transport 3.7 Civil Society in Karachi 3.7.1 The Orangi Pilot Project (OPP) 3.7.2 The Urban Resource Centre (URC) 3.7.3 The Work of the DAP at the Dawood College and NED University 3.7.4 Shehri --- Citizens for a Better Environment and the KBCA Oversee Committee 3.7.5 The Citizens – Police Liaison Committee 4. Socio-Cultural Change in the Society 4.1 Changes in Low Income Settlements 4.2 Changes in Government Attitude and Approach 4.3 General Changes in Society 5. Master Plans and Housing Policies in Karachi 5.1 Phase 1: 1947-1957 5.1.1 Welfare Policy: Provision of Infrastructure and Built Units a) One- Room Units b) Government Employees Quarters c) Co-operative Housing Societies 5.1.2 Formation of Karachi Development Authority 5.1.3 First Attempt at Master Planning: The Greater Karachi Plan 5.2 Phase 2: 1958-1964 5.2.1 The Greater Karachi Resettlement Plan (GKRP) a) Failed Resettlement – Consolidation of the Informal Sector 5.3 Phase 3: 1965-1974 5.3.1 Introduction of the Plot Townships to the west of the city 5.3.2 Flats for the Squatters 5.3.3 Setting up of the Master Plan Department 5.3.4 Karachi Metropolitan Programme and Housing Policies for the Lower Income Group a) Utility Wall Development (UWD) b) Open Plot Development (OPD) c) The Improvement and Regularization Programme (IRP) 5.3.5 The Metroville Programme a) Non-occupancy b) Missing the Target Group c) The Middle Class Moved in d) Lack of Community Participation e) Deterioration of Services 5.3.6 Developer- built Flats 3 5.4 Phase 4: 1975-85 5.4.1 The Open Plot Development Townships a) Attempt at Cooperative Housing in Scheme 33, Gulzar - e - Hijri b) Recent Development of Scheme 45, Taiser Town 5.4.2 The Katchi Abadi Regularization and Improvement Programme (KAIRP) 5.4.3 Causes of Failure of the KAIRP a) Market forces not understood b) The economic condition of poor not addressed c) Change in status of implementing body 5.5 Phase 5: 1986-2000 5.5.1 The Karachi Development Plan 2000 5.6 Phase 6: 2000 onwards 5.6.1 New National Housing Policy 5.6.2 Situation on ground 5.7 Resultant Informal Sector Housing 5.7.1 Unorganized Land Invasion 5.7.2 Illegal Land Subdivisions (ISD) 5.7.3 Inner City Densification 5.8 Conclusion 5.8.1 Issues in formal sector mater planning and housing policies 6. Hundred Household Survey: Case Study of Planned and Unplanned Low Income Areas of Karachi 6.1 Introduction to Orangi Town 6.2 Introduction to Lyari Town 6.3 New social trends a) Household Size b) Age of Population c) Average Income and Employment d) Income and Expenses 6.4 Housing Trends a) Ownership b) Land Values and Plot Sizes c) Security of Tenure 6.5 Water Connections 6.6 Sewerage Connections 6.6.1 Solid Waste Disposal 6.6.2 Physical condition of Housing Units a) Credit for Housing b) Technical Support 6.7 Social Trends 6.8 Role of NGOs 6.9 Conclusion 7. Mega Development Projects 7.1 Sabzi Mundi (Fruit and Vegetable Market) Relocation Project a) Introduction and Background b) Physical Conditions of the Old Sabzi Mundi c) Indifferent Administrative Setup d) Planning of the New Sabzi Mundi on Super Highway 4 e) Relocation of the Old Sabzi Mundi f) Inappropriate Allotment Procedures g) Inadequate and Substandard Infrastructure h) Needs of the Target Group Missed i) Workers Housing not Planned j) Allocation of Land and the Larger Master Plan of the City k) Conclusion 7.2 IFI Funded Projects being Planned and Executed and their Results 7.2.1 Lyari Expressway a) Introduction and Background b) Concerns of the Affected Communities c) Types of Affected People d) Alternatives to the Lyari Expressway e) Issues Pertaining to the Lyari Expressway 1) Non Transparency 2) Inappropriate Design and Reclamation of Land 3) Violation of International, National and City Planning Laws 4) Forced Evictions and Resettlement Costs 5) Human Rights Violations f) Progress of the Project g) Environmental Impact of Lyari Expressway h) Conclusion 7.2.2 Karachi Northern Bypass a) Introduction b) Details of the Project 1) Decongestion of the Old Town Quarters and adjoining areas 2) Alignment of a new development corridor 3) Maintenance of urban roads 4) Revitalization of inner city area 5) Regulation of warehousing and storage functions 6) Possibility of developing truck terminals d) Reasons for Delay of Northern Bypass 1) Lyari Expressway Proposed as an Alternative 2) Change in Political Decision 3) Current Situation of Northern Bypass 7.2.3 Karachi Circular Railway a) Introduction b) Details of Karachi Circular Railway c) Financial Assessment d) Current Situation e) Appointment of OPP-RTI as Consultant to KMC f) Meetings between NESPAK, DKA-KMC and OPP-RTI to Review the Design g) Working Relationship Between KWSB, DKA-KMC and OPP-RTI h) The GFC’s Role in “External” Development under the ADB Funded Project i) Relationship with NESPAK and KWSB Site Engineers j) KMC-OPP-RTI Relations and its Repercussions k) Development through Departmental Work in KMC Circle 125, Orangi 1) Roles of Different Partners 2) Project Implementation 3) Problems during Implementation 4) Replication of Departmental Work Concept 5 5) Reasons for the Relative Success of the Project l) Achievements of the Intervention 1) Cost Effectiveness of the Modified Plan 2) People motivated to undertake Internal Development 7.3 Local Initiatives Befitting the Urban Poor 7.3.1 Orangi Pilot Project Research and Training Institute a) The Low Cost Sanitation Programme b) The OPP-RTI’s Low Cost Housing Programme c) OPP-RTI’s Education Programme d) CBO-NGO Programme e) Research, Training and Documentation f) OPP-RTI and Academic Institutions g) Support to the Orangi Town Union Councils (UCs) h) Impact i) Funding 7.3.2 Asian Development Bank (ADB)-Funded KWSB Sewerage Plan for Orangi and the Role of; OP-RTI, Ghaziabad Falahi Committees (GFC) and KMC Circle 125 in Modifying it a) Details of the Project b) OPP-RTI's Intervention c) Appointment of OPP-RTI as Consultant to KMC d) Meetings between NESPAK, DKA-KMC and OPP-RTI to Review the Design e) Working Relationship Between KWSB, DKA-KMC and OPP-RTI f) The GFC’s Role in “External” Development under the ADB Funded Project g) Relationship with NESPAK and KWSB Site Engineers h) KMC-OPP-RTI Relations and its Repercussions i) Development through Departmental Work in KMC Circle 125, Orangi j) Roles of Different Partners k) Project Implementation l) Problems during Implementation m) Replication of Departmental Work Concept n) Reasons for the Relative Success of the Project o) Achievements of the Intervention 1) Cost Effectiveness of the Modified Plan 2) People motivated to undertake Internal Development 7.3.3 Khuda ki Basti a) The Concept of Kuda-ki-Basti b) The First Scheme c) Reception Area Concept d) Role of the Middleman e) Increase in Price f) Cancellations, Transfers and Re-allotments g) Development of Physical Infrastructure h) Provision of Essential Services i) Reaction of the Informal Sector j) Conclusion k) Reasons of Success 6 Acknowledgements This research has been funded by the Asian Coalition for Housing Rights (ACHR) and forms one of the eight case studies being undertaken in; India, China, Cambodia, Vietnam, Pakistan, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines. The research has attempted to document the socio-economic, physical, political and global aspects of Karachi, which are to be compared with other case studies resulting in the identification of issues and potentials of present day Asian cities. For the preparation of the report, information has been sought from existing literature, concerned government organizations, NGO’s and community groups. The surveys & tabulations of the two case study settlements, Lyari and Orangi were carried out with the help of the local youth groups in those settlements. The comparative data of khuda ki basti was taken from the report “Study of the Socio- Economic Conditions, Housing Profile and Construction modes in Khuda Ki Basti-3 at Taiser Town, Karachi” by Arif Hasan, Mohammad Fazal Noor and Noman Ahmed.