KARACHI: Key projects in Lyari Town lying abandoned
By Latif Baloch
KARACHI, May 27: Fate of two projects in Lyari Town is hanging in the balance as the city government is yet to take a decision on several projects lying abandoned for quite some time.
The defunct KMC had launched these projects in 1996 to provide better shopping facilities to the area people.
It is learnt that the administration of Lyari Town had repeatedly taken up the issue with the city government but failed to receive a positive response.
In June last year, the town administration had drawn the city Nazim’s attention to the abandoned projects of two shopping centres with request for an early resumption of construction work in the larger interest of the local people. However, it is reliably learnt that neither the Nasim nor any other city government official has heeded the request so far. The ultimate sufferers are the residents of Lyari Town who are eagerly waiting for the benefits from the two projects.
The defunct KMC, while undertaking the projects seven years ago had realized the urgency and importance of the shopping centres which would not only have provided better civic facilities to the area people but also improved the people’s standard of living and general living conditions in the town.
For reasons best known to the authorities, the construction work on both the projects was stopped abruptly leaving the optimistic Lyariites in the lurch.
Apart from the two shopping centres — one at Chawkiwara and the other on Shah Waliullah Road, Khadda — a football stadium of international standard and a mono-technical institute are lying abandoned for years in the town.
The football stadium is situated in front of Lyari General Hospital. Much of the development work is yet to be carried out on this project. As majority of Lyari people, especially youth, is regarded as sports-loving, all successive governments have constantly been assuring these people of getting the half-built stadium completed but none has come out with practical efforts till date.
KHADDA MARKET: This is one of the oldest development schemes in Lyari Town launched several years ago with the demolition of shops raised in the old market which was being run under the control of the defunct KMC.
Though the aim of demolition was to transform the old market into a super market, the spacious area is lying open and being used as dump site. Mountains of garbage could be seen elsewhere at the huge site which was cleared of all sorts of structures for construction work.
This project is of much importance for the local people due to lack of adequate shopping facilities in the area. At present, there exists only one such market — Lea Market — to cater to the needs of no less than half a million beneficiaries.
CHAWKIWARA MARKET: This is yet another project initiated by the defunct KMC in order to meet the growing requirements of the residents.
The super market, near Bizenjo Chowk, Chawkiwara, was abandoned by the KMC after construction which encouraged encroachers to occupy the entire site.
People of Lyari have urged the city government to clear all the impediments in the way of execution of these projects. They also opposed the moves to auction the public property.
