Taking initiative: Where there’s a will, there is a way, proves Iqra University

Varsity finds the best way to build road connecting two campuses: to do it yourself

KARACHI: The administration of Iqra University (IU) constructed a service lane in front of their main campus leading to their Executive Development Centre (EDC) campus on their own on Sunday.

The road, which has been run-down for years, was being further damaged by the accumulated sewage water from the surrounding neighbourhood. It was constructed by the university administration after trying their hand with Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) and District Municipal Corporation (DMC) East.



After DMC East administrator Syed Salahuddin Ahmed visited IU in early August, he issued orders for the immediate construction and improvement of the service lane; particularly the removal of garbage and the placement of garbage bins.

Soon after the orders were issued, Ahmed was transferred and the matter of the construction and beautifying of the IU service lane was delayed again.

IU registrar Dr Akif Hasan explained why this part of the road was badly damage. The sewerage lines of the neighbouring flats were damaged, which is why the sewage water accumulates on the roads, he said.

"We built new sewerage lines for the residents so that when the road was constructed, it will not be damaged again," he said. "IU has its own, separate sewerage lines which connect directly to the Kashmir Colony Nullah," he added.

This initiative will be taken forward and the beautifying and construction of the service lane, which is causing great difficulty to the residents of Defence View and IU students, will be extended till the end of the road. "This is just the start of a long journey," said Hasan. In the coming days, the plantation of trees and placing of large dustbins will also be done to make the road better for the students and for the residents of adjoining areas.

After the DMC East administrator was transferred, the IU administration approached KMC to provide support and help with the project.

"Due to the lack of funds for roads, they [said they could not do anything], while we offered that we will bear all the expenses of the roads," the IU registrar told The Express Tribune.

Speaking of the expenses, he said that a total of Rs3 million have been spent until now on the improvement of the road, which includes new sewerage lines, the removal of garbage and the construction of the road in front of the university.

"The road has been badly damaged for many years and this is a good initiative taken by the university to beautify their service lane," Karachi commissioner Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui told The Express Tribune.

He also said that it was a collaborative effort of DMC East and IU administration because they paid the KMC to build the road. "Such steps should be taken by organisations that can do this to beautify the city," he added.

"We are resource constrained, which is why we cannot [build the roads ourselves]," said Siddiqui. He also said that the KMC is ready to engage in such collaborations again, as it will be for the betterment of the city and the beautification of our roads.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 1st, 2015.