Centre, Sindh to work for Karachi development

KCR project would be started very soon

KARACHI    -  Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that with the coordinated efforts, the provincial and the federal governments have started different projects in the city, including remodeling of the main storm water drains, water, and drainage, road, and transport sectors.

“In the larger interest of Karachi, setting aside all our political differences, we all the stakeholders [the PTI and the MQM] sit together and chalked out plans to develop the city to make it one of the beautiful and livable cities of the world,” Shah said while addressing a joint press conference with federal ministers, Asad Umar and Aminul Haq.

Shah said that we had planned to cleanse the nullas before the next monsoon. He added that the nullas being remodeled, including the network of Lyari and Malir Rivers and three major nullas: Mahmoodabad, Gujjar and Orangi and their feeders would also be overhauled. 

The CM said that the other projects, the federal and provincial government have committed to undertake were K-IV, sewerage treatment, road network, Malir Expressway, Green Line, Yellow Line, Orange Line and KCR. “Since there were three executing agencies, the Sindh government, the federal and the KMC, therefore we all have joined hands so that these projects can be completed on a priority basis and in time,” he said.

Murad Ali Shah thanked the federal government, the KMC, the army authorities, NDMA and FWO and also thanked the supreme court for pushing and guiding all the stakeholders to expedite the development works.

Mahmoodabad Nullah:

Talking about Mahmoodabad Nullas, the chief minister said that it has been undertaken as a pilot project. He added that the NED has studied all the three major nullas and prepared their remodel plan. The CM said that on both sides of the Mahmoodabad Nulla a 12-feet wide road would be constructed along with three feet footpaths.

“We have worked hard to save maximum houses constructed along the embankments of the nullah,” he said and added out of 238 encroachments 205 have been demolished and the remaining 33 houses would be cleared within a week.

Gujjar Drainage network:

The chief minister, talking about Gujjar Nulla said that it has a 51 square km drainage area and 10 different drain discharges into it. The NED has conducted its hydrographic survey under which like Mahmoodabad Nulla it would be dragged to make its flow in natural gravity.

Shah said that the width of Gujjar Nulla starts from 120 feet and ends at 35feet, therefore it would be remodeled and lined as per its requirement.

Federal Minister Asad Umar speaking on the occasion said that the people of Karachi looked towards their elected representatives. “Therefore, brushing aside our political differences, we have joined hands for the development of this city,” he said and added the NDMA has engaged FWO and they have mobilized their machinery and work has been started.

Asad Umar said that the success story of their coordinated efforts was the start of work on the ground.

He said that work on the ground has been started and now the minor impediments such as approval of more funds and approval of the related schemes were being made. “I want to reiterate that we have various other things for doing politics but as far as the uplift of the city is concerned we have to work together which is important for all the concerned political parties.

Federal Minister Aminul Haq told reporters that the development works being started in the city were worth Rs1.1 trillion. “It is a good thing that the works have been started on the ground, ‘’ he said. The MQM-P leader and an MNA said that the amount of Rs1.1 trillion for the development package of Karachi was not enough but `something is better than nothing,’.

Replying to a question, Federal Minister Asad Umar said that anti-coronavirus vaccine would be made available in the country by March. As far as the complaint of Sindh government about the shortfall in NFC share is concerned, the provincial government has its own arguments and the federal government speaks something else. 

The chief minister, replying to another question, said that his government has reservations on the census which he has taken upon the concerned forum- the CCI. ‘We want the federal government to redress the grievances of the people of the province,” he said. To the same question, Asad Umar said that the KPK, Balochistan and Sindh have reservations- reservations on the census but it [census] was not done by the PTI government. “I remember very well that whenever a census is conducted the provincial governments, one or the other has raised objections,” he said. 

Talking about the twin islands of Karachi, Asad Umar said that the provincial government and government of Sindh have different opinions on the issue and it was debatable. “The Ordinance has expired and we want the provincial government and the federal government to sit together to find a mutual way out to start development. 

Asad Umar vowed that the KCR project would be started very soon and it would be completed much before the ML-1 project. He would complete the Green Line project for which procurement of buses has been ordered. The Maripur-Manghopir road would be also completed shortly and we have purchased Fire tenders for the city.