The state and its regulatory agencies should have ensured that ecological balance was maintained and that unchecked urbanisation was properly regulated. It is widely believed that large amounts of black money are invested in the real estate sector, generating billions that are eventually transferred out of Pakistan. The large-scale displacement of people living on fertile agricultural land along the peripheries of cities has created environmental havoc. While a few individuals have amassed fortunes through irregular housing schemes, society has witnessed a rise in street crime, terrorism, drug addiction and other social problems that were previously less prevalent.
Impact on Coastal and Agricultural Lands
Hundreds of thousands of acres along the Sindh coastline, where millions of haris, herdsmen and fishermen lived for generations, have been taken from local communities and handed over for commercial development. Similarly, the unplanned concretisation of agricultural green belts and riverbeds has uprooted countless people whose families had lived there for centuries. Unfortunately, the corridors of power appear increasingly influenced by real estate interests, and the consequences of such decisions are now becoming evident.
Need for Sustainable Housing
Punjab certainly needs affordable housing schemes such as “Apni Chhat”, but not at the cost of environmental degradation. Agricultural land in Punjab and along the Indus River has been among the largest sources of employment for centuries. Millions have lived and worked on these lands, contributing to Punjab’s reputation as the subcontinent’s food basket. Sadly, the greed of a few individuals, lacking both vision and attachment to the land, has led to the destruction of these green areas in favour of housing societies that benefit a small segment of the population while disadvantaging millions who have depended on them for generations.
MALIK TARIQ ALI, Lahore.
