# Nehr-i-Khayyam: Clifton residents protest plan to cover 1 km of the drain to Boat Basin

Source: Searchable (https://searchable.pk/news/property/nehr-i-khayyam-clifton-residents-protest-plan-to-cover-1-km-of-the-drain-to-boat)
Type: News article
Author: Searchable Editorial
Published: 19 Oct 2026
Updated: 19 Oct 2026
Retrieved: 19 Oct 2026

> Columns and a platform are already up over the Clifton drain. Campaigners say it links two creeks and that narrowing it risks flooding the area and the port.

**Work to cover part of Nehr-i-Khayyam, the open channel running through Clifton Block 5 in Karachi, has drawn protests from residents and environmentalists who say it will raise the risk of urban flooding.** The affected stretch is about one kilometre long, from Ocean Mall to Boat Basin, [Dawn reported](https://www.dawn.com/news/2038135/covering-nehr-i-khayyam-poses-risk-of-urban-flooding-experts).

Dawn found construction under way on one side of the channel, with two columns built, T-shaped concrete blocks stacked nearby and a platform already laid over the water. Trees have been removed from one bank.

## What the project is

The scheme is titled "Rehabilitation of Nehr-i-Khayyam, including diversion of sewerage water, district South" and falls under the Sindh local government department. Masood Lohar, founder of the Clifton Urban Forest, said the Sindh cabinet approved it in 2019 for recreational use. Environmentalist Yasir Husain said he could confirm only the department and the title, and that the purpose remains unclear; protesters believe the covered land is meant for commercial use. No cost or completion date has been made public, and the government had not responded by the time of Dawn's report.

## Why campaigners say it is dangerous

- **It is not just a drain.** Lohar says the nehr is an intertidal channel linking two creeks, and blocking it is a "national security issue": he warns that 250 mm of rain could leave the port and key security installations unable to function.
- **Less room for rainwater.** Narrowing or covering the channel cuts how much water it can carry in a downpour, and actor Tipu Sharif, a resident for 25 years, warned that garbage trapped under a cover could block the flow.
- **Sewage to the sea.** Husain said untreated sewage will still end up in the sea, and Rasha Tarek of the Karachi Residents' Community questioned covering half the channel while sewage keeps flowing into it.
- **No environmental review.** Husain says the law requires an environmental assessment for government projects. He plans to file a right-to-information request.

## What residents want

1. Stop construction until an environmental impact assessment is done and approved by the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency.
2. Publish the project documents and design.
3. Keep the channel at its full original width, with its banks as open public land.
4. Treat wastewater before it reaches Boat Basin and the sea.

Protests will continue every weekend, Husain said.

## The bigger picture

The dispute comes the same day Suparco published images showing [mangroves near Mai Kolachi replaced by reclaimed plots](/news/pakistan/mangroves-in-karachi-suparco-images-show-mai-kolachi-creeks-turned-into), a reminder that Karachi's natural drainage and coastal buffers are shrinking as land is built on. If you are weighing a property in a low-lying part of the city, flood history belongs on the checklist along with price; our [rental yield calculator](/tools/property/rental-yield-calculator) and [property tax calculator](/tools/property/property-tax-calculator) cover the numbers.

## Frequently asked questions

**What is Nehr-i-Khayyam?**

An open channel in Clifton Block 5, Karachi, that carries rainwater, tidal water and sewage between the area near Ocean Mall and Boat Basin. Environmentalists describe it as an intertidal channel linking two creeks.

**Who is building over Nehr-i-Khayyam?**

The project, titled 'Rehabilitation of Nehr-i-Khayyam, including diversion of sewerage water, district South', falls under the Sindh local government department and was approved by the Sindh cabinet in 2019, according to Dawn.

## Sources

- Covering Nehr-i-Khayyam poses risk of urban flooding: experts (Dawn): https://www.dawn.com/news/2038135/covering-nehr-i-khayyam-poses-risk-of-urban-flooding-experts

How to cite: "Nehr-i-Khayyam: Clifton residents protest plan to cover 1 km of the drain to Boat Basin", Searchable, 19 Oct 2026, https://searchable.pk/news/property/nehr-i-khayyam-clifton-residents-protest-plan-to-cover-1-km-of-the-drain-to-boat