Creative Tactics as Form of Urban Resilience: Surviving in the Face of Adversity Along the Gujjar Nala in Karachi

Abstract

Overarching over both theoretical lenses as put forward by (Hansen and Verkaail,.Critique of Anthropology 29:5–26, 2009) and (Simone and Pieterse,.New Urban Worlds: Inhabiting Dissonant Times, Polity Books, 2017), the present paper presents a case in point of Gujjar Nala, in Karachi, focusing on aspects of urban resilience in the face of forced evictions, and the usage of creative tactics to deal with uncertainty. Gujjar Nala is a natural drainage channel which starts from North Karachi and falls into the Lyari River near Mureed Goth (village). In one of its efforts (Ayub, I., 2016. Anti encroachment operation along 28 km Gujjar Nala nears completion. DAWN, 21 November.) to remove the encroachments along the 28 kms long Nala, the Karachi Municipal Corporation (KMC) removed four thousand structure, which had been built over a period of fifty years along the Nala. According to the KMC officials the objective behind the anti-encroachment drive was to streamline the sewerage scheme of the city and smoothen the storm-water drainage system. Strangely, the rubble of the removed structures was left at the demolishing site, and eventually ended up back in the Nala, causing further blockages to the flow of sewerage and storm water. During the cycle of forced demolition of the structures, urban resilience was seen by the locals in the form of demonstrations and protests, but a year later resilience is seen in the various creative tactics that have been used to re-utilize the dismantled structures with a sense of aesthetics. The space reclaimed by the government authorities, as a result of the evictions, has been re-occupied by the locals, using temporary coverings like fencing, fabric, asbestos sheets, and screens and is being used as extended living space, animal grazing, recreation, plantation, and storage space. There are elements of aesthetics seen in these temporarily designed extended spaces, in the form of brightly colored painted walls, potted plants, and usage of intricately designed screens. While there is rich empirical literature on the informality in housing and land use in Karachi, few studies review the aftermath of evictions and tactics of resilience adapted by locals to survive in the face of adversity. Using the lens of creativity, this paper analysis how locals deal with insecurity and threats like eviction, to come to terms with everyday reality. The research is based on qualitative research methods, using site visits and interviews of people directly impacted by the demolition process.