KARACHI, July 21: The city government has approved an integrated programme for the beautification of Karachi’s entry/exit points.

Under the programme, more than 1,300 nurseries would be raised along a considerably long sections of the Super Highway, National Highway and Hub River Road. The beautification would not only help contain the environmental pollution, but also be a part of the plantation of new species of trees and plants.

A meeting to discuss the programme was presided over by City Nazim Naimatullah Khan here on Monday which gave approval to the project. The District Officer (Parks), Liaquat Ali, informed the meeting that on Toll Plaza-Sohrab Goth section of the Super Highway, there was a capacity to set up 65 nurseries in a radius of 16 kilometres.

Similarly, he added, on Steel Town-Jinnah Terminal section of the National Highway has an area of 18 kilometre radius to grow 22 nurseries while on Hub River Road, from Baldia Town to the riverbed, 442 nurseries could be raised in a radius of 17.7 kilometres.

Stressing the need for setting up nurseries in the entire city, the DO said that besides beatification, such things could also ensure prevention of encroachment.

The meeting acknowledged that the project would create employment opportunities for about 5,000 people who were associated with the field of horticulture. It noted that foreign exchange could also be earned by exporting the plants raised in the nurseries.

The chair formed a committee, headed by EDO Khawaja Shafiq, to monitor pace of work on the project. To ensure transparency, he asked relevant officials to get advertisements published in newspapers so that a maximum number of parties could participate in the project.

Mr Khan said that after receiving applications from the interested parties, the committee would select qualified ones.—PPI