Daily Times

The city is a victim of rapid and unplanned urbanization for the past three decades resulting the city turned into a populace and a stained metropolitan.

The city known for city of flowers of fragrance has no legislation for urbanization that halt people from urbanizing agriculture land. The repaid urbanization on agriculture land turned these fertile land into the unplanned towns and societies across the province

On contacting to the Abid Kam, who is the director of Bureau of Agriculture information. He has express concern over the unplanned urbanization in the province call it alarming said that “we were having a very vast agriculture land once in Peshawar, and not only in Peshawar but across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa like Mardan, Abbatabad, DI khan but due to lack of planning these rich agriculture land turning into the un planned towns and commercial activities”

He lamented the swallowing of agricultural land in the coming times detailed that “before these lands were cultivated and we were very rich in cultivating crops but now the provinces are dependent upon other countries and provinces to import food.  He suggested government to pass bill and make proper legislation to save agriculture land “there is no law to stop people from urbanization on agriculture land and the province don’t have any law then how authority will halt people from making towns and homes on agriculture land”, Kamal added.

Furthermore, he warned the government for future that “we are already facing number of issues due to global warming and if the ratio is continue we will remain no land for agriculture and soon or after we will face problems like food security, pollution, floods vice versa across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Kamal concluded.

The total agriculture land in the provincial was 109,883 acres in 2001-02, which shrank to 106,576 acres in 2013-14. The total of 3,037 acres reduction in agriculture land due to rapid urbanization

However, out of total 4.269 million population, urban population of Peshawar is 1.970 million and estimated that the urban population of Peshawar will likely to increase up to 2.80 million by 2030

On contacting to the Yaqoob Khan, the Assistant Director Planning of the Provencal Housing Authority, explain the process of selecting towns across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He detailed the processes that “We are very keen while selecting site for the housing society. We do proper survey before inciting any housing project but due to unprofessional approach in government departments and some influential groups they launched illegal housing schemes which is distress and make havoc for the agriculture production”

On the other hand, he mentioned that “Urbanization on agriculture land is very serious issue but the government is unable to stop construction on private agriculture land as no law to prevent it. He suggests government to take serious action against private schemes which are declared illegal and unplanned across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Khan added

Furthermore, he suggested government to reviewer their policy and implement modern techniques for urbanization said that “it’s a right time to revise Housing policy imposed in 2001 and stress to implement modern techniques for housing schemes including proper Strategy and planning on every tehsil level”, Khan concluded.

A comparative study of urbanity level of Peshawar vis-à-vis Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as a whole during 1901-1998, 1980-2017 brings out some interesting facts. As early as 1980, the urbanity level in KP was 12.7 percent while for the territories now comprising Peshawar, the corresponding figure was 9.8 percent

Moreover, the provincial capital maintained a higher urbanity level until 1941, but afterwards it lagged behind the Khyber pakhtunkhwa overall averages in census counts of 1951 and onwards. However, in 2017, the urbanity level of Peshawar was 18.9 percent and of the province as a whole was 38.5 percent

We talked to the Shafeeq Gagyani on Phone. He is the student of History and Anthropological Studies and known as the city culture and heritage specialist of Peshawar. He has also concern over unplanned urbanization in the area said that “Due to the unplanned Urbanization of the city the first target will be the climate Change which is the biggest challenge across the globe.

This urbanization will not only effect the city but even the country as a whole because population increase day by day which resulting issues specifically in developing and under developed countries, Gagyani lamented. He further detailed the history of Peshawar said that “Peshawar located at the valley of Pushkulavati means the City of lotus, but now the city surrounded by rubbish, which directly impact on Social and environmental changes. Secondly, he also mentioned the reason as the city is facilitating afghan refugees and internally displaced people from past decades which resulting unplanned urbanization, Gagyani added.

He strongly demanded from the government to make proper law with a plain for the province and specifically for Peshawar to get back their natural beautification and most to do justice with their name of Peshawar, he added.

Furthermore, he connected by adding historical references about Peshawar and said that even the Mounstruart Elphinstone write in his book Kingdom of Kabul that, “Peshawar is fertile city surrounded by so many garden and around like Wazir Bagh, Shahi bagh and Nasir Bagh:, Gagyani concluded.

According to the Housing Census 2015 and data available with the Peshawar development authority (PDA), the total number of houses in Peshawar was 0.167 million in 1981. It went to 0.236 million in 1998 and the number of houses in Peshawar remained 0.897 million in 2015. The projected trend could be much more in the near future. However, media reported that there are 20 different names of towns in parts of Peshawar district in which most of them are illegal

Recently, Prime Minister Imran Khan has directed to carry forward the process of amendments and up gradation in master plans of various cities of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Islamabad Capital Territory keeping in view the motivation and socio-economic activities in every city.

The Prime Minister directed the provincial authorities to utilize modern technology in reviewing master plans and present a roadmap for finalizing the master plans and interim strategy within a week.

The Prime Minister also stress that unplanned spread of major cities has caused complex civic problems and posed threat to the environment and agriculture land and soon this situation will pose a serious threat to food security in future.