The KP Chief Minister has expressed displeasure at the encroachments and illegal construction activities being carried out on river banks in some of the tourist spots of Malakand Division.
He has ordered the concerned divisional and district administrations to take indiscriminate action against all such types of encroachments and illegal construction activities and to devise a strategy with an implementation plan to prevent such activities in the future.
The meeting was chaired by MPA Mian Sharafat Ali regarding the removal of encroachments and the prevention of illegal construction activities on river banks in tourist areas of the province.
Principal Secretary to CM Amjad Ali Khan, administrative secretaries of concerned departments, Commissioner Malakand, RPO Malakand, Deputy Commissioner Swat and other concerned authorities attended the meeting.
The chair issued a reprimand to the concerned officers and officials for encroachments and illegal construction activities on river banks in the famous tourist area Kalam Swat, directing them to take all the required steps to make the river banks free of all types of encroachments on an immediate basis and to submit him a report accordingly; and warned them of strict action saying that no officer or official will further continue to hold his position otherwise.
He noted that illegal constructions on riversides can both spoil the natural beauty of rivers and cause loss of life and property during floods.
He stressed that such activities will not be tolerated at any cost and that those involved, no matter how influential they may be, will be held accountable. He called on the local administration to be vigilant and to take action against illegal riverside construction in a timely manner, per relevant laws and regulations.
The Chief Minister noted reports of individuals throwing garbage into rivers and reaffirmed the directive to the local administration to take measures to prevent this practice, punish those involved, and uphold the River Protection Act.
An operational committee headed by Commissioner Malakand was established to identify encroachments on riverbanks, remove them, and protect rivers from pollution.
Similarly, it was also decided to constitute a committee headed by the secretary of irrigation at the provincial level to come up with recommendations to make the existing laws and rules more stringent to prevent illegal encroachments on rivers sides on a sustainable basis.
