365 development schemes launched in Karachi

World Bank is ready to support infrastructure and institutional development, says Murad

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that Karachi has been given top priority in the development regime and the Annual Development Programme (ADP) 2018-19 has allocated Rs53 billion against the 365 schemes of Rs218.6b that have been launched.

This he said on Wednesday while presiding over a meeting to review the progress of the on-going development schemes in Karachi. The meeting was attended by Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani, Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, Planning and Development (P&D) Chairman Mohammad Waseem, Principal Secretary to CM Sajid Jamal Abro, Finance Secretary Najam Shah, Karachi Commissioner Iftikhar Shalwani, Local Government Secretary Khalid Hyder Shah, Local Government Special Secretary Niaz Soomro, Project Director Khalid Masroor and others.



The CM said that out of 365 proposed schemes, 16 mega projects for the city have been completed in 2016-17 while 17 other mega projects were near completion.

The projects that have been completed for Rs6,638.815b include upgrading of Pipri Filter Plant, Drigh Road flyover, Manzil Pump flyover, construction of link road from Khairpur Town to University Road, Tariq Road, Mosamyat Road, Hub River Road, Surjani to Madinatul Hikmat Road, widening of Sharae Faisal, remodelling of Baloch Colony flyover, storm water drain from Jinnah International Terminal to Chakora Nala bridge at the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Gizri Boulevard and construction of storm water drain from Hassan Square to Lyari River.

P&D Chairman Mohammad Waseem informed the meeting that 40 schemes of Rs128,441.255 million have been launched through ADP 2018-19 and this year's allocation is Rs34,476.292m.



These forty schemes include conversion of existing schools to model schools, construction of an education complex, completion of college buildings, establishment of Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto University of Law (SZABUL), Bilawal Bhutto Engineering College Lyari, SZB Engineering College Memon Goth, Establishment of  Sindh Institute of Traumatology, Orthopedics at NIPA, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Medical Complex near Razakabad, Extension of Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT), Paeds Unit at National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD), Shaheed Benazir Bhutto (SBB) Medical College Lyari, forensic lab in Karachi, 34 courts at Korangi, rehabilitation of Karachi Fish Harbour, 100 MGD pump house, upgrading of Dhabeji pumping station, 65 MGD additional water supply from Haleji to Pipri, revamping of Gujjar Nala, rehabilitation of filter plants at Gharo, COD, Pipri of 210 MGD capacity, improvement of main Hawke's Bay Road, restoration of surroundings of Empress Market, establishment of six garbage transfer stations, development of two landfill sites, S-III (Rs3b have been allocated for the project), establishment of five combined effluent treatment plants for which Rs7.9b and Rs2b have been allocated, remodelling of 12000 Road Landhi, improvement of road from Fuwara Chowk to Garden via the Abdullah Haroon Road and back to Fuwara Chowk, rehabilitation of 8000 Road Landhi from Jam Sadiq Bridge to Dawood Chowrangi, Rs1,256m Karachi Neighbourhood Improvement Programme (KNIP), establishment of Directorate of Urban Policy & Strategic Planning Unit, Rs2,364.1m Orange Line (so far Rs1,129m have been utilised on the project), Integrated Intelligence Transportation System, rehabilitation of Link Road from Malir 15 to Memon Goth and K-IV Project Augmentation.

The CM said that his government had engaged World Bank to conduct Karachi Diagnostic Study which led to the formulation of Karachi Transformation Strategy. The study suggested the pathway for improving city liveability and competitiveness. Therefore, CM said that he had decided to invest in three sectors including Municipal Service Delivery: water supply & sanitation and municipal solid waste; Urban Transport: Karachi Circular Railway and Bus Rapid Transit and Urban Policy.

Under the KNIP public spaces, roads infrastructure and city administrative services would be improved at a cost of $98m.  Under the Karachi Urban Management Project (KUMP) grants for Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) and six District Municipal Corporations, capital development grants for KMC and Technical Assistance for development of Urban Property Tax would be awarded for $200m.

The CM said that various projects were at implementation stage and some projects were at securing finances and at conceptual stage. He added that under the Municipal Delivery Services, five projects were in progress. They include K-IV of 260 MGD, S-III to remove 460 MGD sewer for Rs36b; combined effluent plant for five industrial areas for Rs11.79b, establishment of six garbage transfer stations for Rs1.66b, development of two sanitary landfill sites for Rs1.87b.

The Karachi Water & Sewerage Board's (KWSB) Modernisation Project worth $1.6b would be launched and be completed in 10 years. The CM said that investments would be made in infrastructure and institutional reforms in KWSB and the World Bank was ready to support the project.

The CM said that in urban transport and urban connectivity some projects have been made for which funds were being arranged. They are KCR of $2b, BRT system, six BRT lines, two MRT lines of Rs850b, Southern Bypass connecting Southern Karachi with Superhighway at Kathore, thus providing connectivity between Southern areas of Karachi and Northern expansion of city.  The CM directed the Local Government minister to start the work on Hyder Ali Road and Tariq Road underpasses, and work on Lee Market flyover should also be started by the end of December. He told the project director that he would be visiting the on-going schemes from next week and issued similar instructions to keep follow-up of the schemes being finalised with donor agencies for implementation. "We would make the city of Karachi one of the best and most beautiful cities of the world very soon," he concluded.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 29^th, 2018.