Karachi committee reviews development projects

KARACHI: The Coordination Committee formed for the development of Karachi on Friday reviewed the progress of various initiatives including the cleaning of stormwater drains, the lifting of garbage, ensuring a regular water supply and the construction of some important roads, reported The News.

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.

CM Murad told the meeting that he had asked the NED University to carry out a survey and prepare a re-modelled design of three drains in Karachi — Mahoomabad, Gujjar and Orangi drains. He added that the varsity has submitted a detailed design and remodelling plan for the Mahmoodabad Nullah, and the designing and survey of the two other drains will be completed by January 15.

“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,” said the CM.

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The CM explained the officials that the drain was initially six-metre deep at Korangi but the depth kept on reducing and as it ran down reaching 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.

After the CM’s briefing, Federal Minister Asad Umar told the officials that work on the Mahmoodabad drain should be started as soon as possible. He added that the federal government had authorised the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to utilise Rs 7 billion for various cleanliness works of the drains and related assignments.

K-IV project

The participants were also informed that all the documents related to the K-IV project have been handed over to the federal government since it has taken up the completion task.

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To this, Asad Umar told the meeting that the federal government has assigned its completion task to Wapda, 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.

Devolution of 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.

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The meeting was told that the contract of garbage disposal work in districts central and Korangi was 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.

Originally published in The News