Green Line delays force change in Karachi's Ashura plans
Authorities fail to meet Aug deadline for Numaish Chowrangi Underpass
PHOTO: EXPRESS
KARACHI:
August has come and gone, and with it, another deadline, but phase one of the federal government’s much-vaunted Green Line Bus Rapid Transit project predictably lingers on.
Authorities had promised to partially finish the Numaish Chowrangi Underpass – the centerpiece of the Green Line development scheme –by August and open part of it to the public by the end of the month. But they have not been able to meet any of those promises and have now announced a mid-October target date.
In addition to prolonging the misery of Karachi commuters, the latest development has had a more immediate effect on plans for this year’s Ashura, which falls next week. Due to ongoing work on Numaish Chowrangi, city authorities have been forced to alter the route for Muharram procession, officials and other sources told The Express Tribune.
Already the first phase of the federal government’s grand transport scheme has been delayed by almost a year. According to sources, this is mostly on account of a design dispute between the centre and Sindh authorities, which has held up work on the ramp of the underpass.
The delays, among other things, authorities were forced to alter routes for the Youm-e-Ali processions held on 21st Ramazan. While convincing Youm-e-Ali procession organisers to take the new route, the federal government-run Sindh Infrastructure Development Company Ltd (SIDCL), which is overseeing work on the Green Line, promised it would finish work and open Numaish Chowrangi by August, far ahead of Ashura in the second week of September, the sources said. The entire phase, SIDCL officials assured, would be completed by December.
For various reasons, however, the federal government was unable to meet that deadline and has been forced to change the project schedule. Under the new schedule, the upper part of the underpass will be open to the public by October 15 after work on the roof and sides are complete, and the entire phase is to be finished by May next year, they added.
In the meantime, authorities have been left with no choice but to change the route for Ashura processions. The main procession will now make its way from Nishtar Park, through Gurumandir, Peoples Chowrangi, Saddar, Preedy Street, Regal Chowk, Tiber Centre, and M A Jinnah Road, to Kharadar, confirmed Deputy Commissioner Karachi East Ahmed Ali Siddiqui.
“We have already held talks with Muharram procession organisers and senior officials of the Sindh Infrastructure Development Company Ltd (SIDCL), and have finalised a new route for the processions after taking all stakeholders on board,” he said.
“Due to the closure of certain transit points, we agreed to change the route for the main Muharram procession in a meeting presided by Karachi Commissioner Iftikhar Shalwani,” said procession organiser Syed Shabbar Raza.
“However, we stressed that development works should be complete as soon as possible so that Chehlum processions are not inconvenienced like the Youm-e-Ali and upcoming Ashura processions,” he added. “We were assured by the Green Line administration that Numaish Chowrangi will be opened by October 15.”
Speaking to The Express Tribune, SIDCL engineers said authorities’ inability to finalise the design of Green Line Phase Two was the main cause of Numaish Chowrangi delays. They said the Sindh government last year requested that phase two developments be built on ground level rather than as elevated structures, as laid out in the original plan. It also asked the federal government to construct underpasses on Agha Khan Soyem and Dr Daudpota intersections of M A Jinnah Road. The Sindh government even had its consultants draft an initial design in this regard.
Initially, the centre approved the design drafted by the Sindh government, the engineers said. However, it turned down Sindh’s propositions after its own consultants highlighted serious flaws in the plan. Instead, the federal government sought permission to build an underground tunnel connecting Numaish Chowrangi to Tibet Centre.
The Sindh government, in turn, did not agree with the centre’s counter-proposals and in subsequent meetings, tried to persuade federal government engineers to follow its plan instead of the latter’s. Both the centre and Sindh authorities have continued to debate the merits of their designs and demerits of each other’s proposals for 10 months, the engineers added.
In the meantime, the federal government has continued work on the Numaish Chowrangi Underpass, they said. The roof of the underpass has been laid down and only finishing work on the sides is left. The federal government, however, did not begin work on the ramp to be built next to Taj Medical Complex, according to the engineers. The centre, they said, is holding out for the off chance that Sindh government approves its proposal to construct the tunnel to Tibet Centre.
Two months ago, the Sindh chief minister rejected the centre’s design in favour of the Sindh government one and directed SIDCL to begin Green Line Phase Two construction from Taj Medical Complex to Municipal Park. Work on the ramp began 15 days ago, after being held up on account of bureaucratic procedures and the monsoon rains.
August has come and gone, and with it, another deadline, but phase one of the federal government’s much-vaunted Green Line Bus Rapid Transit project predictably lingers on.
Authorities had promised to partially finish the Numaish Chowrangi Underpass – the centerpiece of the Green Line development scheme –by August and open part of it to the public by the end of the month. But they have not been able to meet any of those promises and have now announced a mid-October target date.
In addition to prolonging the misery of Karachi commuters, the latest development has had a more immediate effect on plans for this year’s Ashura, which falls next week. Due to ongoing work on Numaish Chowrangi, city authorities have been forced to alter the route for Muharram procession, officials and other sources told The Express Tribune.
Already the first phase of the federal government’s grand transport scheme has been delayed by almost a year. According to sources, this is mostly on account of a design dispute between the centre and Sindh authorities, which has held up work on the ramp of the underpass.
The delays, among other things, authorities were forced to alter routes for the Youm-e-Ali processions held on 21st Ramazan. While convincing Youm-e-Ali procession organisers to take the new route, the federal government-run Sindh Infrastructure Development Company Ltd (SIDCL), which is overseeing work on the Green Line, promised it would finish work and open Numaish Chowrangi by August, far ahead of Ashura in the second week of September, the sources said. The entire phase, SIDCL officials assured, would be completed by December.
For various reasons, however, the federal government was unable to meet that deadline and has been forced to change the project schedule. Under the new schedule, the upper part of the underpass will be open to the public by October 15 after work on the roof and sides are complete, and the entire phase is to be finished by May next year, they added.
In the meantime, authorities have been left with no choice but to change the route for Ashura processions. The main procession will now make its way from Nishtar Park, through Gurumandir, Peoples Chowrangi, Saddar, Preedy Street, Regal Chowk, Tiber Centre, and M A Jinnah Road, to Kharadar, confirmed Deputy Commissioner Karachi East Ahmed Ali Siddiqui.
“We have already held talks with Muharram procession organisers and senior officials of the Sindh Infrastructure Development Company Ltd (SIDCL), and have finalised a new route for the processions after taking all stakeholders on board,” he said.
“Due to the closure of certain transit points, we agreed to change the route for the main Muharram procession in a meeting presided by Karachi Commissioner Iftikhar Shalwani,” said procession organiser Syed Shabbar Raza.
“However, we stressed that development works should be complete as soon as possible so that Chehlum processions are not inconvenienced like the Youm-e-Ali and upcoming Ashura processions,” he added. “We were assured by the Green Line administration that Numaish Chowrangi will be opened by October 15.”
Speaking to The Express Tribune, SIDCL engineers said authorities’ inability to finalise the design of Green Line Phase Two was the main cause of Numaish Chowrangi delays. They said the Sindh government last year requested that phase two developments be built on ground level rather than as elevated structures, as laid out in the original plan. It also asked the federal government to construct underpasses on Agha Khan Soyem and Dr Daudpota intersections of M A Jinnah Road. The Sindh government even had its consultants draft an initial design in this regard.
Initially, the centre approved the design drafted by the Sindh government, the engineers said. However, it turned down Sindh’s propositions after its own consultants highlighted serious flaws in the plan. Instead, the federal government sought permission to build an underground tunnel connecting Numaish Chowrangi to Tibet Centre.
The Sindh government, in turn, did not agree with the centre’s counter-proposals and in subsequent meetings, tried to persuade federal government engineers to follow its plan instead of the latter’s. Both the centre and Sindh authorities have continued to debate the merits of their designs and demerits of each other’s proposals for 10 months, the engineers added.
In the meantime, the federal government has continued work on the Numaish Chowrangi Underpass, they said. The roof of the underpass has been laid down and only finishing work on the sides is left. The federal government, however, did not begin work on the ramp to be built next to Taj Medical Complex, according to the engineers. The centre, they said, is holding out for the off chance that Sindh government approves its proposal to construct the tunnel to Tibet Centre.
Two months ago, the Sindh chief minister rejected the centre’s design in favour of the Sindh government one and directed SIDCL to begin Green Line Phase Two construction from Taj Medical Complex to Municipal Park. Work on the ramp began 15 days ago, after being held up on account of bureaucratic procedures and the monsoon rains.