DERA GHAZI KHAN: Despite several anti-encroachment campaigns by the administration in Dera Ghazi Khan, the persistent issue of encroachments in the city is disrupting its social fabric while residents express deep concern at the worsening situation in the residential areas. Once, the city featured spacious residential blocks with two open squares, serving as spaces for activities like sports for children. However, rampant commercialisation has overtaken these residential blocks, eroding the city’s tranquil character with the connivance of authorities concerned. Renowned poet Aziz Shahid whose family used to harvest roses around the old Dera Ghazi Khan city, which was later inundated by the river Indus in late 19th century, says the city’s markets have been steadily invading nearly all residential areas as blocks A to Z and 1 to 50 are gradually succumbing to commercial expansion. He says the noise has also disrupted the tranquility of the city. Majeed Nasir, a citizen, says the unregulated growth has not only consumed open spaces but also deprived the city of its cultural essence and damaged its environment. The people used to have feasts and swimming on the bank of the Manika canal but it has been turned into a drain. “Traditional Hamacha (large high charpoys on which people used to sit to have gossip) culture, that thrived on the close interaction and community ties, has been significantly diminished. Streets that once echoed with the vibrancy of community life and open spaces where youngsters used to play hockey and other games are now crowded with market stalls, leaving little room for social gatherings or shared experiences,” says Nasir. Moreover, the city’s famed orchards and green public squares, once an integral part of its charm, have been replaced by rows of shops and commercial establishments. Dera Ghazi Khan, which was called ‘City of Neem Trees’ is now a city of the bazaars, with barely any shade of trees or greenery left to soften its concrete sprawl. This transformation has not only impacted the environment of Dera Ghazi Khan but also its identity and quality of life. The city has lost its historical arena of basketball court in the park and a sink in garden near veterinary hospital. The new basketball court established behind the veterinary hospital and the squash court built nearby are facing neglect. Addressing this issue of encroachments and loss of city places requires urgent and thoughtful urban planning so that the community spaces and greenery could be restored and balance between commercial growth and the needs of its residents could be regained. Responding to the query regarding uncommercialisation of residential blocks of the city, Dera Ghazi Khan DC Muhammad Usman Khalid said: “There is a master plan for every district which demarcates areas for agricultural, residential and commercial development”.