The famous downtown ‘Food Street’ on Burns Road used to be maze of encroachments and picking the way through these haphazardly put up food stalls would be a torturous experience for diners. Families living in the neighbourhood had to go through this ordeal every day or several times a day. However, these encroachments have now been cleared - thanks to the Sindh High Court (SHC). The court was petitioned by the local residents to order the removal of these encroachments to make their lives easy. The District South administration, led by the assistant commissioner, carried out a several hours’ long operation to clear the roads, alleyways, and sidewalks which were encroached upon by footstalls.

Billboards put up by the restaurateurs in front of their outlets were also demolished, while tables, chairs, and other furniture were removed. Last week, the SHC ordered the removal of all encroachments by suspending a notification of the district administration and directed that Burns Road and its alleyways should not be closed in evening hours for traffic. Local residents thanked the SHC for taking action on their long-standing demand on humanitarian grounds. A large number of residents had turned up to witness the clearance operation. They said that these encroachments in the name of “Food Street” had made their lives miserable.

They used to be confined to their homes after 7pm because encroachments would pop up and occupy the entire roads, sidewalks and even by-lanes. To add fuel to the injury, these encroachments were legalised by the district administration through a notification. Fights and brawls would often break out between local residents and food stalls owners. The residents petitioned the SHC after a patient passed away because an ambulance could not take him out of the congested street due to encroachments.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan-INP