Rs3.5bn set aside to rebuild Karachi’s roads, says Wahab

Barrister Murtaza Wahab announced on Wednesday the Government of Sindh and the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) have set aside Rs3.5 billion for the reconstruction of the city’s roads.

The city administrator, who is also the provincial government’s spokesman and the chief minister’s law adviser, held a meeting to review the post-rain situation in Karachi. Municipal Commissioner Syed Afzal Zaidi and other relevant officers also attended the meeting.

Wahab observed that the city has received over 600mm rain. “Due to the effects of climate change, there has been more than usual rainfall across the world, for which no country, including Pakistan, is prepared. Karachi’s roads will be reconstructed at a cost of Rs3.5 billion.”

He said relief work has been divided into two categories in Karachi: in the first, Annual Development Programme (ADP) projects related to roads and water & sewerage will be completed on an immediate basis, and in the second, potholes in the city’s roads will be filled.

He added that the provincial government will spend Rs2.5 billion on the rehabilitation of roads, while the KMC will spend over Rs500 million on rehabilitation works, which will provide quick relief to the people.

Wahab said that under the ADP, 157 new projects will be completed in the city, while the development projects managed by the Competitive & Livable City of Karachi project are in addition to that.

He said a mechanism needs to be devised to clear the city of rainwater on a permanent basis. “For the past several years, water drainage has stopped due to encroachments on storm water drains.” He added that in the past rainwater used to get stuck at Nagan Chowrangi, KDA Chowrangi, Natha Khan, Nursery, Gulistan-e-Zafar Society and Kharadar, but the situation has improved this year after the provincial government installed new drainage systems in all these areas. “Complete drainage is only possible with engineering solutions.”

He was of the view that it is important to find a solution for water drainage in the city’s low-lying areas so that the problems of the residents can be reduced. He said every institution needs to team up with one another for the improvement and development of Karachi.