Karachi Coordination Committee reviews progress on projects to revamp city’s infrastructure

The Coordination Committee constituted for the development of Karachi reviewed the progress of various initiatives being taken for the development of the city, including the cleaning of storm water drains, the lifting of garbage, ensuring a regular water supply and the construction of some important roads.

The meeting was attended by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, Local Government Minister Nasir Hussain Shah, Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, Chairman Planning & Development Board M. Waseem, Administrator KMC Iftikhar Shallwani, Local Government Secretary Najam Shah, Secretary for Transport Shariq Ahmed, KWSB MD Asadullah Khan, Sindh Solid Waste Management Board chief Zubair Channa and NED University Professor Dr Adnan. The federal government was represented by Federal Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar. His team members included Corp Commander Karachi Lt-General Humayyun Aziz, DG ISI Lt-General Faiz Hameed, and GOC Karachi Major General Aqeel.

The CM said he had assigned the task of conducting a survey and preparing a re-modelling design of three drains in Karachi -- Mahoomabad, Gujjar and Orangi drains -- to the NED University. The university has submitted a detailed design and remodelling plan for the Mahmoodabad Nullah, and the designing and survey of the two others drains will be completed by January 15.

Shah said the re-modelling design of the Mahmoodabad drain had been submitted for approval, and as far as the details of the design were concerned, it would affect 319 structures constructed along its embankments.

He added that the Mahmoodabad drain was six-metre deep at Korangi and the depth kept reducing as it ran down and finally it turned to one metre at Defence up to its termination. “This is a serious problem to ensure a smooth flow of water,“ he said and added: “In the proposed re-modelling design, these defects have been pointed out in order to remove them,” he said.

Federal Minister Asad Umar said the work on the Mahmoodabad drain should be started at the earliest to complete it early. He added that the federal government had authorised the NDMA (National Disaster Management Authority) to utilise Rs 7 billion for various cleanliness works of the drains and related assignments.

K-IV project

It was pointed out that the federal government had taken up the completion task of the K-IV bulk water supply project; therefore, all the relevant documents had been handed over to the Centre. The federal government has assigned its completion task to Wapda, said Asad Umar and vowed to complete the project on a priority basis.

30 MGDs

The CM pointed out that his government had initiated a 30MGD scheme to provide water to District South. He added that the Port Qasim Authority was reluctant to give passage for the scheme; therefore, he urged Federal Minister Asad Umar to direct the PQA to clear the way so that the scheme could be completed.

Asad Umar assured the chief minister that the issues would be resolved.

SSWMB

The CM said necessary amendments were being made in the law of the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board for devolving it to the city level, and Karachi would have a separate solid waste management board to carry out cleanliness works.

The local government minister said roads would be cleaned while garbage would be collected from the households in the city for its disposal at the landfill sites via the garbage transfer stations.

The meeting was told that the contract of garbage disposal work in district central and Korangi were being auctioned. By the end of February, the qualified private firms would be awarded contracts of doing cleanliness in both the districts.

The chief minister told the meeting that, meanwhile, he was launching a special drive to make the city neat and clean.

Road projects

The CM told the meeting that he was going to launch mega projects -- Malir Expressway and ICI bridge re-modelling -- on PPP (Public Private-Partnership) mode. He said these schemes would reshape the flow of traffic in the city.

He added that he had also released special funds to construct dilapidated roads from Gulbai to Y-Junction and the main and internal roads of the SITE area. The meeting decided to speed up cleanliness work on the drains.