KARACHI, Sept 5: The city government has approved the Malir riverbed project under which parks and other recreational spots would be developed along the 16-km-long and one-km-wide riverbed in Malir.
The parks and horticultural department of the city government had conducted a study to look into the feasibility of the projected plan. The department presented its report to the city Nazim who eventually approved the project. Officials in the city government hoped that work on the project would start soon.
Besides parks, plantation of about 500,000 plants, installation of two water tanks, development of 11 picnic spots (with huts and canopy) as well as four lakes and fountains, 15 cricket grounds, 11 football grounds, 11 hockey grounds, five tennis courts, six basketball courts, six volleyball courts, one golf course, one polo ground, 11 sites for athletic games and two kabaddi grounds are included in the project. It also includes 24 parking facilities and as many public toilets, 12 bridges, 28 floodlights.
In the project area, there will be 40-feet-wide road on both sides of the water channel in addition to a 150-feet-wide water flow channel and 24 pump room.
Process of selecting a suitable name for the recreational spot is under way. Some of them are the Tafrih Gah, Gulshan-i-Jadeed and City Recreational Complex.
Thousands of acres of land between Malir and Clifton is available for the purpose which belongs to seven towns — Malir, Shah Faisal, Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Jamshed, Saddar, Landhi and Korangi and is in the revenue limits of the city government’s revenue department.
Funding for the project would be made by federal, provincial and city governments with support from private sector. The project would be completed in three years. It would be executed by the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) which would be responsible for its operational and maintenance affairs.
The park department’s report points out that adequate quantity of water available in this area makes the location an ideal one for a mega project for recreational activities. It proposes that water from TP2, which is flushed into the sea, can be utilized in order to reduce pumping expenses.
It also refers to the natural marsh land and lakes developed by the river and says that this makes the area green and beautiful attracting many species of birds and animals.
Another merit mentioned in the report is that almost entire location is not only encroachment-free but there exists no problem involving relocation of residents/occupants. The river banks provide natural boundary to the site, it adds.
After completing major works on the infrastructure — construction of water channels, roads, car parking, lighting arrangements, etc. — the whole area will be divided in equal stretches of two kilometres and offered to interested parties for further development through auction.
The report stresses the need for a comprehensive planning, involvement of environmental expertise, wildlife and landscape, removal of cattle farms established in the area, tree-plantation in consultation with experts, control on illegal dumping of garbage debris, and closure of nine inlets of sewage in the project area.
City Nazim Naimatullah Khan, accompanied by some officials of the city government, visited the site on Friday and was briefed by concerned officials about the project. —PPI
