January 31, 2008	Thursday	Muharram 21, 1429

KARACHI, Jan 30: A modern city on both sides of the Northern Bypass is being developed and for this purpose the initial study and survey work has already begun.

A British consultant and architecture firm, the Atkins, has been hired and it has started working on master planning and designing of the area earmarked for the modern city.

On Wednesday, the Director of the Atkins, Paul White, along with other executives, gave a detailed briefing regarding the survey and study for developing the area to CDGK officials who included City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal, DCO Javed Hanif Khan, EDO Master Plan Iftikhar Qaimkhani, EDO Revenue Saleh Farooqui and Director-General of the Lyari Development Authority Sarfaraz Ahmed.

The officials were informed that a complete corridor could be constructed on both sides of the Northern Bypass as per the CDGK-approved Master Plan-2020 where government offices, commercial and trade centres and residential areas could be established.

Wide streets and roads could be constructed at this site besides ensuring provision of a public transport system, including bus ways, light train and mass transit system. The CDGK officials were informed that the area would then be connected with adjoining localities to provide better and convenient travel and transport facilities to the citizens.

The city nazim said that the government should undertake planning for the city’s requirements till 2020 so that progress could be made towards making Karachi a modern city.

He said that in order to provide most modern facilities to the citizens, most of the city’s commercial and trade facilities like godowns, paper markets, cloth market, showrooms, truck stands, wholesale markets and commercial centres would be shifted to the proposed new city that could provide considerable relief to residents of main city areas, besides providing them additional facilities and modern infrastructure.

He pointed out that a City District Government Complex was being established at Northern Bypass near Super Highway and the city government offices would be shifted to the complex.

He said the city government was paying special attention to the housing sector and for this purpose, some 80,000 plots were carved out in Taiser Town and handed over to their allottees who emerged successful in balloting. A new and modern infrastructure would be laid in this area, he added.

The nazim said that the proposed “new city” would also have an airport, as well as commercial apartments and five industrial zones.—PPI