Jahangir Park restored to its former glory

Park revamped at a cost of Rs220m by Sindh government

KARACHI: Less than a year after the chief minister’s visit to Jahangir Park in Saddar, the park has been restored to its former glory.

On August 17, 2016 Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah visited the park and saw the poor state it was in. Vendors had encroached on the space and the compound’s iron grills had been stolen. The park had become a safe haven for heroin addicts and was avoided by the residents of the area.

The park was once a haven for heroin addicts and encroachers. PHOTOS: COURTESY CM HOUSE

The local government department had been directed to initiate work to restore the park to its former glory as soon as possible. On Sunday morning Shah visited the park, saying it was his gift to the people of Karachi. He was accompanied by Local Government Minister Jam Khan Shoro, Planning and Development Department Chairperson Mohammad Waseem, Karachi Package Project Director Niaz Soomro and other officers.

The work had been started on war footings and was completed within a year. Today, the park is full of lush foliage and newly-built facilities.

Jahangir Park is spread over 5.3 acres of land in Saddar. The restoration project was launched at a cost of Rs220 million, which included the cost of construction of its compound wall, fountains, benches, woodwork, electrical work, a drainage system, washrooms and other facilities. In the same amount, two reverse osmosis plants, one providing 50,000 gallons of drinking water per day and the other providing water to water the plants in the park, have been established.



The chief minister lauded Shoro and his team’s efforts, as well as those of the divisional administration and others who supported the project.

Residents of Saddar gathered when the chief minister reached Jahangir Park and visited different roads that have recently been constructed or are still under construction. They applauded and appreciated the chief minister for working for the uplift of Saddar.

The chief minister later visited different roads in Saddar, such as Daudpota Road constructed at a cost of Rs132.9 million. The other features of the project include sewerage lines, a water supply system, storm water drain and electrical work.

The park was restored to its former glory in less than a year. PHOTOS: COURTESY CM HOUSE

He also visited Mir Karam Ali Road, which has also been reconstructed by laying new sewerage and water supply lines. A storm water drain has also been constructed, along with a footpath at a cost of Rs141.7 million.

Shah also visited Rahja Ghazanfar Road, constructed at a cost of Rs245.3 million, which new water and sewerage lines, a storm water drain, lights and new footpaths.

The chief minister went to Sarwar Shaeed Road, which was constructed at a cost of Rs155.6 million. The road has also been given a new storm water drain, footpaths and water and sewerage lines.



The chief minister said that there were old buildings in Saddar, particularly on Mir Karam Ali Road, which will soon be restored. "These building are beautiful and are our heritage, so I am keen to restore them," he said, adding that this was why he had approved the $100 million World Bank project to restore old city areas.