Angry residents announce protest against DHA, call for 10-year audit report

KARACHI: Angry residents of the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) in Karachi on Sunday announced that they will protest on September 3 outside DHA’s Phase 1 office in Karachi against the non-supply of basic amenities by the housing authority.

In a 22-point demand put forth by the “aggrieved residents” of DHA, denizens called on the housing authority to return taxes collected to build “useless stormwater drains” that were in the billions, remove cement blocks with holes in them from the middle and demanded a 10-year audit report to know where taxpayers’ money had been spent.

“We wish to register our legitimate right to get the supply of basic amenities of potable water, stable electricity, effective discharge and flow of drains and sewerage, elimination of hanging electricity wires & data cables, fixing of broken poles, providing of security [as well as] repair & re-carpeting of broken roads,” read a statement from the citizens.

Following is a list of 22 demands that the aggrieved residents said they will put forward in front of the DHA during their protest on September 3:

• Return the taxes taken from Residents in the form of Development Charges for ”stormwater drains” project worth billions which failed completely
• Accountability of the contractors and decision-makers for these useless Storm Water Drains
• Immediate removal of these cement slabs in the middle of the roads with holes in them
• Removal of “charges “ and “ fees” on every kind of activity, approval and transaction inside our own homes
• Installation of sewage treatment plant immediately
• Stop the pollution from 150 million gallons of untreated effluent from DHA to be dumped directly into the sea
• Sharing of 10 years audit report so residents know how their tax money is being spent
• Stop reclaiming land from the sea for more housing without an infrastructure plan. This will increase further drainage/ sanitation problems
• Stop renting out empty plots for the storage of animals
• Separate area of storing of animals
• Designated Slaughterhouses
• New international standards drainage system to be installed immediately
• Immediate repair of broken sewerage lines and roads
• Hanging cables and telephone wires to go underground immediately
• All electricity poles to be earthed and every pole be issued safety certificate by DHA. Saving lives is a joint responsibility. All lives matter
• KESC statements to be taken seriously by DHA. “Non-KE wires on power distribution infrastructure, such as streetlights or TV, telephone or internet cables, are a major safety hazard, as they damage KE’s infrastructure and bypass safety protection mechanisms.”
• Beggars removed from every street signal
• All empty plots to be garbage-free (empty plots are the responsibility of DHA)
• No more paying for water. Remove the Tanker Mafia immediately. If hydrants can have unlimited water supply why can’t our houses?
• No construction on our beaches. Spend our money on our drainage system
• Make a proper system of debris removal and construction material spillover on our roads.
• All craters in roads due to rains to be attended immediately so as not to lead to more loss of life 22. Roads dug up for various utilities and left uncarpeted to warrant heavy fines to the contractors
• Stop bringing in officials from around the country to head key positions in DHA and CBC. Locals of the city to be appointed only