March 20, 2008	Thursday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 11, 1429

HYDERABAD, March 19: Two under-construction treatment plants for treating sewage and enabling it to be used for irrigating lands instead of discharging into the River Indus and Phulelli Canal, would be ready by next month, District Nazim Kanwar Naveed Jamil said.

He said in response to journalists’ queries after laying foundation stone for Rs259.13 million eight-kilometre long Hyderabad-Jamshoro road on Tuesday that the domestic wastewater of Qasimabad, which was being discharged into the river, would be treated in the treatment plant in Qasimabad and sewage from the rest of the city, which was released into Phulelli Canal, would be treated in the plant near Isra University.

He said that the treatment plant near Isra University would redress on permanent basis the complaints of population living in Tando Mohammad Khan and Badin districts, who used Phulelli Canal was for drinking purposes.

The nazim said that the district government had enhanced capacity of existing filter plant and built eight flyovers and one underpass. Hopefully, one track of Latifabad flyover would be made operational by March 31, he said.

He said earlier addressing the foundation laying ceremony that Hyderabad-Jamshoro road also known as old Super Highway was being widened and rehabilitated to avoid traffic congestion at the entry and exit points of the city.

He cited a similar mega scheme of Rs900 million Ghangra Mori bypass the foundation stone of which had been laid and said that the 11-km long bypass would have four roads, 12-foot wide each while the fifth road would be constructed on the other side of lined channel.

He informed that the scheme also envisaged two flyovers. Traffic congestion on this route that was connected to Karachi, Mirpurkhas, Tando Allahyar, Tandojam, Talhar, Matli,

Badin and other towns would ease to a great after execution of the scheme.

Mr Jamil said that the district government paid special attention to road sector to ensure that all the exit and entry points of the city were cleared of any congestion. The flyover at Giddu Chowk was part of this programme because it was another main spot, which witnessed traffic problems every day, he said.

He said that the foundation stones had not been laid just to organise ceremonies and get political mileage. The schemes would be completed at all cost in the given time, he stressed and said that 45 per cent of work on the Hyderabad-Jamshoro road had already been completed.

The project’s engineer Aijaz Munshi said that the road would be completed at a cost of Rs259.13 million and the right side of link canal would also be widened.

He said that the 30-foot wide road would now have double lanes of 24-foot each. The road’s median would be two-foot and the work would be completed in eight months, he added.