Protest against Nehr-i-Khayyam construction

Residents and environmentalists staged a rally in Clifton's Block 5 on Sunday, October 18, 2026, protesting construction at Nehr-i-Khayyam, an open drain.

“Commercial use of Nehr-i-Khayyam not accepted”

Placards demand stop of construction

Participants held placards with messages including 'Stop concreting drains, restore Nehr-i-Khayyam' and 'Save Nehr-i-Khayyam and stop urban flooding'.

“Save Nehr-i-Khayyam and stop urban flooding”

Trees disappearing from waterway

Trees previously present on both sides of the drain now remain on only one side, with few left along the construction area.

Construction underway

Construction was observed on one side of the drain, with two columns built and half plastered with cement, and T-shaped concrete blocks nearby.

Rasha Tarek questions sewage discharge

Rasha Tarek, a protester and member of the Karachi Residents’ Community (District South), questioned discharging sewage into the waterway and then covering it.

“Where in the world do people discharge sewage into a waterway, then claim that its water is polluted and proceed to cover over half of it?”

Masood Lohar claims commercial intent

Masood Lohar, founder and CEO of the Clifton Urban Forest, claimed the project was approved by the Sindh cabinet in 2019 for 'recreational purposes' but intended for commercial activity.

“it is a commercial project, and the sewage will end up in the sea”

Environmental impact concerns

Lohar warned that covering the intertidal channel between two creeks could block drainage, causing problems during heavy rainfall.

“if karachi received 250mm of rainfall, the port and important security installations could become dysfunctional”

Yasir Husain calls for transparency

Yasir Husain, an environmentalist, stated the project details were unclear and demanded an environmental impact assessment and public disclosure.

“this project is not about cleaning sewage”

One-kilometre construction stretch

A one-kilometre stretch of the drain from Ocean Mall to Boat Basin had been taken up for construction with a platform built over it.

Tipu Sharif questions waterway purpose

Tipu Sharif, a resident for 25 years, questioned why the waterway could not remain in its original form and warned of rainwater accumulation issues.

“if it was built as a waterway, why not let it remain one? why is it necessary to cover everything with cement?”

Protest demands suspension

Residents demanded suspension of construction until an environmental assessment is conducted and project details are made public.

“suspension of construction until the required environmental assessment had been conducted and approval obtained from the sindh environmental protection agency”

Call for sewage treatment

Protesters demanded an end to untreated sewage discharge into the channel and treatment before reaching Boat Basin and the sea.

Project title and department

The project is titled 'Rehabilitation of Nehr-i-Khayyam, including diversion of sewerage water, district South' under the local government department.

What happens next

The protest will continue every weekend until project details are disclosed and environmental assessments are completed.

“the protest would continue every weekend”