Clifton fish aquarium needs Rs800m to reopen after 25 years

KARACHI:

The fish aquarium in Karachi’s Clifton area will be restored at a cost of Rs800 million, the city’s administrator Murtaza Wahab said at launch of the restoration work of the facility.

"The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) is introducing a new approach in which the participation of citizens is essential. The Fish Aquarium, located in Clifton, has fond childhood memories. The aquarium closed 25 years ago. However, this aquarium will be opened to the public in the next six months at the cost of Rs800 million," the administrator expressed these views while addressing a groundbreaking ceremony for the restoration of Fish Aquarium at Bagh Ibn Qasim Clifton.

The administrator said the aquarium is part of 130 acres of Bagh Ibn Qasim. Those who came here in their childhood still remember the tour of the fish house. Still, with the time, where other things in the city deteriorated, this aquarium could not survive too, and the citizens lost this facility.

He said that the present administration had taken immediate steps to notice this, and the procurement process has been completed.

"The Fish Aquarium will provide an opportunity for students and researchers to get a closer look at marine life and provide another excellent recreational and informational facility to the citizens near the beach," Wahab said.

He said that public places in all parts of the city, including Bagh Ibn Qasim, are being restored and opened.

He said that KMC and DMCs are working on these projects. Tree planting will be done to make Bagh Ibn Qasim greener.

He added that there would also be new standard restaurants and washrooms for citizens. Kidney Hill Park is another example of the city's improvement work, and if civil society and the commoner are with us, we will be able to do these things much better.

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"We hope that the private sector will support us for the betterment of the city, the province and the country. I have always said that this is my city, my province and my country, so I try to improve as much as possible in every field, whether it is related to KMC or KDA," he said.

He said that the federal government is not aware of the plight of the people crushed by inflation, adding that if a government is mindful of the ground realities, then the current crisis can be overcome.

Sindh's share of Rs32 billion had been deducted, a blatant violation of constitutional rights and principles.

He asked the Finance Minister to take immediate notice and give Sindh its due share in NFC so that employees' salaries could release and development work could be continued without any hindrance.

Earlier addressing the function, Metropolitan Commissioner Karachi Syed Afzal Zaidi said that Bagh Ibn Qasim Fish Aquarium Project is important for Karachi.

He said that the city should have several such aquariums for the general public to learn about marine life.

"We are trying to reopen all the public places in the city. We will do everything with the help of civil society," he added.

Deputy Commissioner South Irshad Sodhar said that the fish aquarium project would be a beautiful gift of the government to the citizens of Karachi.

He said that the efforts of the Sindh government to improve public places in Karachi are proving successful.

Also present on occasion, Deputy Commissioner South Irshad Sodhar, Metropolitan Commissioner Syed Afzal Zaidi, Director General Parks Junaidullah Khan, Senior Director Recreation Mansoor Qazi, Senior Director Municipal Services Mazhar Khan and other officers.