Sindh High Court Orders Master Plan Audit for Karachi’s Storm Water Drains

Taking serious notice of persistent civic inundation and illegal commercial construction over primary municipal storm drains, a two-judge division bench of the Sindh High Court issued stern directives to provincial administrative bodies today.

The bench, headed by the senior puisne judge, demanded an exhaustive geographic information system (GIS) survey detailing the original demarcation lines of Gujjar Nullah, Orangi Nullah, and Nehr-e-Khayyam compared to present ground occupation.

The court warned that field officers from the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) and municipal town planning directorates who approved building layouts atop drainage channels will face direct judicial inquiries and asset scrutinies.

The petitioner, representing civil society organizations and neighborhood welfare alliances, argued before the bench that unaddressed encroachments continue to compromise urban resilience, rendering central districts vulnerable during coastal rain spells.