KARACHI, Nov 16: The Pakistan Steel, the Karachi Port Trust and the Export Processing Zone have agreed to execute a number of vital projects aimed at improving the city’s infrastructure under Tameer-i-Karachi Programme, well-informed sources told Dawn.
All these stakeholders are, however, willing to undertake the allocated projects at their own, though with the consultation of the city district government, according to the sources.
In addition to the projects to be carried out by the stakeholders, six other major projects including two flyovers at Hassan Square and Sohrab Goth, construction/repair of Manghopir Road, Korangi-8000 Road, Shahrah Orangi and Rashid Minhas Road, will be undertaken by the city government under the Tameer-i-Karachi Programme at an estimated cost of over Rs1500m.
“All these projects are part of the Rs29 billion package which the President Pervez Musharraf has approved for improving the city’s infrastructure. About 50 per cent patchwork of rain-affected roads has been completed at a cost of Rs100 million.
The city Nazim’s coordinator for technical affairs, Salim Azhar, told Dawn that all these projects would take off in a couple of months as pre-qualification of contracts have been completed and they are now in the tender process.
About the status of such projects and the stakeholders with whom negotiations have been completed, he said these projects included reconstruction of M A Jinnah Road (from Keamari to Quaid’s mausoleum), Maulvi Tameezuddin Khan Road (extended up Clifton submarine chowrangi via Mai Kolachi Bypass); Shaharah-i-Ghalib and Hino Chowk Flyover.
The award of design and consultancy is in the final stage and the stakeholder for these projects would be the Karachi Port Trust (KPT).
PAKISTAN STEEL: The other vital projects which would be undertaken by the Pakistan Steel include a multi-level flyover at Quaidabad and dualization of the road connecting the National Highway with the Super Highway. Sources said the concept plan of the proposed flyover had been finalised and its detailed designing is in progress.
EPZ: Referring to the projects to be executed by the Export Processing Zone, the sources said that services of NESPAK had been hired by the EPZ and detailed designs relating to different projects were in progress.
The projects to be executed by the EPZ are: construction of Shahrah Mehran (from Cattle Colony to Port Qasim), a link road which will connect Shahrah Mehran with the National Highway including a bridge over the Railway crossing; feasibility and design of the Korangi industrial area road up to Shahrah Mehran which will provide an alternate route connecting the National Highway at Bin Qasim.
Referring to a number of other projects which the other stakeholders such as PIA, the Pakistan Railways, the Defence Housing Authority and the Port Qasim Authority, the city Nazim’s coordinator said negotiations with these organisations were in progress.
“With a view to expediting work on all the vital projects, the CDGK has notified the steering committee of the Tameer-i-Karachi Programme, a project management cell has been created and advertisement for pre-qualification of consultants for all sectors has been issued to the press,” he added.
