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KARACHI, Aug 26: A high-powered committee comprising major stake-holders will shortly be formed by President Pervez Musharraf for developing an integrated regulatory framework for the development work in the city.
The proposed committee will also be assigned the task of defining responsibilities and areas of mutual cooperation among various organisations, besides resolving land management issues.
The committee will consist of officials belonging to the city government, the Karachi Port Trust, the railways, the Civil Aviation Authority, the cantonment boards and the Pakistan Steels.
Unfolding the details of the decisions arrived at a high-level meeting held here on Monday with President Pervez in the chair, city Nazim Naimatullah Khan told Dawn that it was for the first time in the city’s history that representatives of all stake-holders were brought under one umbrella to discuss and help resolve the city’s infrastructure rehabilitation plan.
Expressing his gratitude to the president for approving, in principle, a Rs29 billion package aimed at rehabilitating the city’s infrastructure, the Nazim said that year-wise breakup of the funds would be Rs5 billion for the first year, Rs9b each for the second and third years and Rs6b for the fourth year.
The Nazim said that of the total Rs29b, the federal government would contribute Rs8b, the Sindh government Rs3b and the city government Rs6b; while the remaining Rs12b would be contributed by different major stake-holders.
For the purpose of improving the civic infrastructure, he said, the city had been divided into six zones; Zone 1 comprised Bin Qasim, Gadap and Landhi and Rs1,630 million had been earmarked for it; Zone II (Malir, Shah Faisal and Gulshan-i-Iqbal) had been allocated Rs1950m; Zone III (SITE, Orangi, Baldia) would get Rs2000m; Zone IV (Gulberg, Liaquatabad, North Nazimabad and North Karachi) would receive Rs4790m; Zone V (Industrial estates of Landhi, Korangi, Federal B’ Area and North Karachi) would get Rs2500m, and infrastructure rehabilitation works costing Rs16,795m, would be undertaken in Zone VI which included the entire city.
LONG-LIFE ROADS: The Nazim said it had been decided that in future all the major 28 roads falling under the jurisdiction of the city government, and other important inter-towns roads would be constructed under a long-life project based on American Astho Technology.
He said that repair of all the roads damaged by the rains would begin on a mass scale in September, and initially work would start on some four or five roads under the long-life road programme.
He said the integrated institutional network would also help develop a comprehensive geographical information system (GIS) based on mapping of pipelines, sewerage lines and other utility services, and it would also facilitate preparation of the city’s master plan.
He pointed out that none of the five master plans for the city (two of them before Partition) had been implemented. He added the city government would upgrade the city’s master plan, at an estimated cost of Rs200m, so as to bring uniformity in the entire city.
Highlighting the salient features of the projects to be undertaken at the industrial estates of Landhi, Korangi, Federal B’ Area and North Karachi, and where the Export Promotion Bureau will be the stake-holder, the city Nazim said those included exclusive landfill sites for industrial solid waste and construction of new treatment plants for industrial effluent.
He said the other important projects to be undertaken within the first year were: survey for GIS-based mapping of pipelines, sewerage lines and other utility services, setting up emergency response centre, repair of damaged roads, desilting of drains and nullahs, desilting of the sewerage system and purchase of generators for pumping stations. He added that all these projects were estimated to cost Rs5000 million.
The city Nazim informed that the short-term projects to be carried out in the next two years at an estimated cost of Rs9000 million included updating of the city’s master plan, rehabilitation of the sewerage system, up-gradation of water pumping stations, exploration of the water supply system, rehabilitation of stormwater drains and nullahs, installation of incinerators, rehabilitation of bridges and flyovers and construction of a power plant at Dhabeji.
About the midterm plans, which are expected to cost Rs9000m and will be executed in the next three years, the city Nazim said that these included development of landfill sites, extension of sewerage system, provision of new stormwater drains, extension of the water distribution system and construction of solid waster transfer stations.
The Nazim further said the long-term plans for which Rs 6000m had been earmarked and which would be completed in the next four years were: construction of new treatment plants, rehabilitation of Malir and Lyari rivers, 100-million-gallon additional water supply scheme (K-IV), construction of flyovers and bridges and setting up of a desalination plant.
