Fate of almost 12,000 trees uncertain
Construction of University Road might rob residents of greenery
PHOTO:EXPRESS
KARACHI:
With the construction of University Road started, the fate of thousands of trees on the central median has become murky. Several small trees have already been removed.
According to an official of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), the construction of University Road is taking place in two phases - from Hassan Square to Nipa and from NED University till Safoora Chowrangi.
20-year-old trees cut down along Sharae Faisal
The road, according to the official, will be widened from three-lane to four-lane from Baitul Mukarram Masjid till Hassan Square. “The road in this area is around 36 feet [wide] and will be widened to 48 feet,” the official said, adding that due to this, the central median will be narrowed down and the trees on the central median would have to be removed.
He said that the cost of the transplantation of the trees is not included in the project’s PC-1. However, project director Niaz Ahmed Somroo said that they would try their best not to remove any trees for the construction of the road and assured that if any tree falls within the alignment of the construction, they would transplant it elsewhere.
Project manager Sami Khan, however, said that the KMC’s parks and horticulture department has been informed of this in writing. However, an official of the parks and horticulture department, on the condition of anonymity, told The Express Tribune that they were never taken on board for the construction of University Road.
The official said that there are around 10,000 trees in the stretch from the Hassan Square till Safoora Chowrangi and at least 2,000 trees from Hassan Square till Nipa. Most of these trees, according to him, are conocarpus or sufaida, which cannot be transplanted. “There should be a policy of planting new trees if the older ones are removed,” he said, adding that neither the plantation of new trees nor the transplantation of the older ones have been included in the project cost.
Karachi package
The construction of University Road took place after several empty promises and missed deadlines given by the Sindh government since the last two years. In January this year, when then chief minister Qaim Ali Shah visited various areas of the city, he expressed displeasure over the condition of University Road and gave a two-week deadline to the municipal authorities to repair it. However, the authorities failed to meet the deadline.
Chopped down trees: DHA residents roughed up for taking a stand
Now, with the new package given by incumbent CM Murad Ali Shah, construction has finally kicked off. Service lanes, footpaths, the road and median will be constructed properly, claimed the official. Khan said that the cost of the project is around Rs777 million for the first phase and almost as much for the second phase.
“We will dig [up] the entire road, level it and then construct a new one,” he explained, assuring that the construction would be completed in six months. “The CM has given us a deadline for four months, even if the construction gets delayed for any reason, it won’t take more than six months time,” he said.
Effect on Red Line BRT
Due to the construction of the Red Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) - which will pass through University Road - chances are that the millions of rupees KMC plans to spend to repair the road will go down the drain.
An official of the KMC recalled that they constructed Guru Mandir Road and, when the Green Line BRT started its construction, the entire road was dug up once again. However, for University Road, Soomro assured that they had already held a meeting with the transport secretary and consultants of the Red Line BRT. “They are all very much onboard,” he said, explaining that the Red Line BRT would run on the central median, due to which University Road would not be affected.
However, regarding utility line relocations, he said that they are already being relocated on the road and there is no utility present on the median, so the Red Line BRT’s construction would go smoothly.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 17th, 2016.
With the construction of University Road started, the fate of thousands of trees on the central median has become murky. Several small trees have already been removed.
According to an official of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), the construction of University Road is taking place in two phases - from Hassan Square to Nipa and from NED University till Safoora Chowrangi.
20-year-old trees cut down along Sharae Faisal
The road, according to the official, will be widened from three-lane to four-lane from Baitul Mukarram Masjid till Hassan Square. “The road in this area is around 36 feet [wide] and will be widened to 48 feet,” the official said, adding that due to this, the central median will be narrowed down and the trees on the central median would have to be removed.
He said that the cost of the transplantation of the trees is not included in the project’s PC-1. However, project director Niaz Ahmed Somroo said that they would try their best not to remove any trees for the construction of the road and assured that if any tree falls within the alignment of the construction, they would transplant it elsewhere.
Project manager Sami Khan, however, said that the KMC’s parks and horticulture department has been informed of this in writing. However, an official of the parks and horticulture department, on the condition of anonymity, told The Express Tribune that they were never taken on board for the construction of University Road.
The official said that there are around 10,000 trees in the stretch from the Hassan Square till Safoora Chowrangi and at least 2,000 trees from Hassan Square till Nipa. Most of these trees, according to him, are conocarpus or sufaida, which cannot be transplanted. “There should be a policy of planting new trees if the older ones are removed,” he said, adding that neither the plantation of new trees nor the transplantation of the older ones have been included in the project cost.
Karachi package
The construction of University Road took place after several empty promises and missed deadlines given by the Sindh government since the last two years. In January this year, when then chief minister Qaim Ali Shah visited various areas of the city, he expressed displeasure over the condition of University Road and gave a two-week deadline to the municipal authorities to repair it. However, the authorities failed to meet the deadline.
Chopped down trees: DHA residents roughed up for taking a stand
Now, with the new package given by incumbent CM Murad Ali Shah, construction has finally kicked off. Service lanes, footpaths, the road and median will be constructed properly, claimed the official. Khan said that the cost of the project is around Rs777 million for the first phase and almost as much for the second phase.
“We will dig [up] the entire road, level it and then construct a new one,” he explained, assuring that the construction would be completed in six months. “The CM has given us a deadline for four months, even if the construction gets delayed for any reason, it won’t take more than six months time,” he said.
Effect on Red Line BRT
Due to the construction of the Red Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) - which will pass through University Road - chances are that the millions of rupees KMC plans to spend to repair the road will go down the drain.
An official of the KMC recalled that they constructed Guru Mandir Road and, when the Green Line BRT started its construction, the entire road was dug up once again. However, for University Road, Soomro assured that they had already held a meeting with the transport secretary and consultants of the Red Line BRT. “They are all very much onboard,” he said, explaining that the Red Line BRT would run on the central median, due to which University Road would not be affected.
However, regarding utility line relocations, he said that they are already being relocated on the road and there is no utility present on the median, so the Red Line BRT’s construction would go smoothly.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 17th, 2016.